EUD - European Union of the Deaf


Hungarian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SINOSZ)

Established: 1907
Full member of EUD since: 2004

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


  • Community - where you can make friends and meet others with hearing los

  • Assistance - professional consultation on rehabilitation

  • Programmes - leisure activities, club programmes

  • Information - about special offers and assistance for deaf people and opportunities of employment, training and education

  • Personal Assistance - with your official matters

  • Legal Consultation - free legal assistance

  • Translation - in order to help you communicate - for free

  • Appliances to Rent - signalling units, receiver-transmitter units, technical units

  • Courses - to improve your communication skills

  • Newspaper - with updates on the events and news of the organisation

  • Links - to charities, other organisations working with Deaf and hard of hearing people, distributors of hearing aid units, ambulances, audiology centres, services, employment offices and schools

  • Recreation and Sports - in our own recreation and sport facilities

  • Transport Assistance - our members receive transportation assistance

  • Publications - notes on communication courses, information materials


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 

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