| Hungary Hungarian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SINOSZ) Established: 1907 Address: 1068 Budapest. Bernczúr utca 21, Hungary Contact details: Email: tapolczai.gergely@sinosz.hu Fax: (+36) 1 342 19 89 Phone: (+36) 1 351 04 34 Website link: http://www.sinosz.hu
Mission statement of the organisation Mission statement: To support the pursuit of Deaf and Hard of Hearing persons in Hungary concerning their identities and empowerment, to strengthen the coherence of the Deaf community based on visual culture, preserve the cultural values of sign language and communicate these values to the external world.
Details of the Board President: Dr Ádám Kósa (D) Board Members: 7 Deaf members and 4 Hard of Hearing
Details of the Staff Executive Director: Dr Gergely Tapolczai (D) Other staff: 24 person (D) of the total 46 person (almost 50%)
Statistics General Population of your country? (Including hearing people) 10,200,000 Official or approximate figures of the number of Deaf people living in your country? Hundreds of thousands of people suffer from hearing loss in Hungary. Tens of thousands are fully deaf. Official or approximate numbers of Deaf people who use sign language as their primary language? Approximately 20,000 How many people are members of the NAD? Approximately 10,000 registered members and 65 local associations in 19 counties all over Hungary Does your National Association of the Deaf publish any magazine or newsletters for your members? We have a monthly magazine called HASÉ Does your National Association of the Deaf have Youth section? Yes
Status of Sign Language Is Sign Language legally recognised as part of your Government's constitution? No Is there any campaign to get the sign language legally recognised? Yes, we are planning to organise an international conference and festival during the autumn fall, with the aim of the official recognition of Hungarian Sign Language.
Status of Sign Language Interpreters Approximate number of qualified sign language interpreters: We have aproximately 500 educated Hungarian SL interpreters in Hungary but we only have 35 people who are actively doing this job. Details of training centre/courses: SINOSZ , Bárczi Gusztáv Faculty of Special Education, Eötvös Loránd University Other for profit educational courses in all over Hungary
Technology Does your country provide Video Interpreting Service? No If not, when will it be implemented? We are lobbying for the Government to introduce a video interpreting service.
Deaf centre/clubs How many deaf centres/clubs? 65 local associations in 19 counties all over Hungary. Details of the deaf centre/clubs: SINOSZ clubs provide the following services for Deaf and hard of hearing children, adults, and their relatives, and for assistants and other professionals and NGOs working with them
Universities/Sign Language Units Are there any universities that deal with Sign Language? (Deaf Studies, Linguistics, Interpreting) There are no official courses but there are some researchers who are working in this field (but the numbers are very low)
Deaf Schools Number of Deaf Schools: 7 Education method: Oral
History of the NAD In 1802, when András Cházár initiated the education for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing people and close to this event small informal groups started to meet and discuss Deaf and Hard of Hearing peoples life, challenges and their social realities in Hungary. In 1892 Kálmán Oros established the Deaf and Dumb circle in Budapest and at the same time the first magazine was published. In 1902 the circle presented their first Charter to the public, which was approved by the Ministry of Interior 1907. The new home was established under the name 'András Cházár national home for the Deaf and Dumb'. The national hard of hearing organisation has been in operation since 1923; it was founded by remedial teacher Gusztáv Bárczi and otologist Béla Török when the only way of communicating for the hard of hearing was lip reading. Since the middle of the century Viktor Göllesz, Imre Uhri and their students have helped people in need and kept this important method of rehabilitation alive. Although the proliferation of micro hearing aids pushed this the background, its usefulness is still undoubted. In 1952 the organisation of the Hard of Hearing and the Deaf Association - which already had a history of half a century - merged into one organisation. The hard of hearing found their place in the new organisation and they have been working with the Deaf in the good harmony to decrease their common information disadvantages. The nationwide organisation established 19 county centres in Budapest and certain larger cities. Who are the most important people in your country's history? Kálmán Oros (SINOSZ founder) and András Cházár (first Deaf school founder)
Last updated: 27 January 2010 |
