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Latvia

Latvian association of the Deaf (LAD)

Established: 1920
Full member of EUD since: 2004

Address: 19 Elvira str., Riga, Latvia

Contact details:

Email: lns@lns.lv

Fax: (+371) 7470 444 

Phone: (+371) 747 0595

 

Website link: http://www.lns.lv

 

Mission statement of the organisation

LAD is a social organisation, and its members are volunteers. Fully Deaf as well as people with hearing problems, who know Latvian Sign Language and take part in achieving aims of LAD, participate in its activities. LAD's main aims are to:

  • help people with hearing loss
  • attain society's understanding and responsiveness regarding people with hearing problems

To achieve these aims, the main tasks of LAD are to:

  • attain support of the Government and self-governments regarding social rehabilitation of the members of LAD, to provide their integration in the society
  • satisfy the material, every-day and cultural needs of members of LAD, to raise the level of the education, protection of health and rehabilitation

 

Details of the Board             

President: Arnolds Pavlins (H)

Board Members: Sandra Gerenovska (D) Vice President - Mara Lasmane (D) - Ainars Osmanis (D) - Dace Lace (D)

 

Statistics

General Population of your country? (Including hearing people) 2,300,000

Official or approximate figures of the number of Deaf people living in your country? 2,000

Official or approximate numbers of Deaf people who use sign language as their primary language? 2,000

How many people are members of the NAD? 1,700

Does your National Association of the Deaf publish any magazine or newsletters for your members? Yes

Does your National Association of the Deaf have Youth section? No

 

Status of Sign Language

Is Sign Language legally recognised as part of your Government's constitution? No but it has been recognised in an Act of Languages.

 

Status of Sign Language Interpreters

Approximate number of qualified sign language interpreters: 15

Details of training centre/courses: There is one two-year course in College

 

Technology

Does your country provide Video Interpreting Service? Yes

 

Deaf centre/clubs

How many deaf centres/clubs? 12

Details of the deaf centre/clubs: Details available on the website (also in English and Russian)

 

Universities/Sign Language Units

Are there any universities that deal with Sign Language? (Deaf Studies, Linguistics, Interpreting) No

 

Deaf Schools

Number of Deaf Schools: 2 - for Deaf, 2 - hard of hearing

Education method (Sign Language, Oral or other methods): Bilingual

 

History of the NAD

Please check the website for the full history.

 

Last updated: 03 February 2010 

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