| Slovenia DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING CLUBS ASSOCIATION of SLOVENIA Established: 1931 Address: DRENIKOVA 24, 1000 LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA Contact details: ZDGN-Slovenija@zveza-gns.si Website link: www.zveza-gns.si
Mission statement of the organisation Deaf and hard of hearing people of Slovenia are joint in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Clubs Association of Slovenia (acronym ZDGNS) - a non-governmental expert organization that endeavours for equal status and the rights of deaf and hard of hearing persons. It collaborates with competent governmental agencies and bodies, contributing with its motions, remarks, admonitions, and opinions to relevant discussions. Fundamental scope of the Association is to create conditions for full inclusion of deaf and hard of hearing persons in daily job, working environment, and social life. Informative activities: Magazine »From the World of Silence« TV broadcast »Let's Listen to the Silence« Own video production - »Video Journal« ZDGNS website: www.zveza-gns.si Teletext at the national TV, page 723 Publishing Persons with hearing impairment have the right of access to any informative sources by means of techniques and the ways adapted to their handicap. These rights are implemented through the previously listed informative activities. Depending on concept of the contents and the actual needs of the target public, the said means of information include reports about deaf people's life and work, their achievements as well as challenges and problems that are hindering their equal integration in the hearing, full-sensual environment. ZDGNS prepares yearly about 10 numbers of the magazine »From the World of Silence«, 20 TV broadcasts »Let's Listen to the Silence«, and 8 own production videos. All actual news and video news are available on the ZDGNS website named Web TV, and our teletext page. Although several national TV broadcasts have already been captured this is not enough to satisfy the needs and wishes of deaf viewers striving for an equal access to information and awareness building. The Centre of Possibilities Usually it takes about seven years before a person, experiencing the impairment of hearing searches for help. The hard of hearing trouble which is often attributed to, and equalized with the process of ageing is seen as a shame in the modern society whose idol is youthfulness. Stigma and negation, lack of information about consequences of the hearing loss and about possible ways of searching for help are the main reasons why people do not try to find an adequate solution for their hearing problem. A hearing aid is a precious appliance but not suitable for all kinds of hearing impairment and for any circumstances. Within the Centre, these technical appliances are available for testing, training and adaptation to the use of a hearing aid. Experts offer advice on the most suitable hearing aids regarding to one's particular hearing trouble and his/her life style, and give information on the prices and the technical aids suppliers. Multi-purpose facilities - holiday homes Our multi-purpose facilities serve for various activities: making holidays, organization of consultations, seminars, workshops, performing of special social programs and different social activities, training of athletes before important sport contests, etc. They offer favorable conditions for socialization and creation of friendly contacts between our members what is especially precious for them considering their communication impediment. Culture The culture of the deaf has got a special importance by recognition of the Sign Language according to the recently adopted Law on the use of Slovene Sign Language. In the Republic of Slovenia, deaf persons now have the right to use Sign Language as their mother tongue (i.e. first language). The culture of the deaf within the deaf community originates from the very beginning of organized activities of the deaf in Slovenia. Creativeness of deaf people has been successfully demonstrated in theatre, dance, film, and photography. Every year, one of the Association clubs organizes the International Day of the Deaf that is also a memorial of the World Day of the Deaf. This is the central deaf culture event in Slovenia at which our deaf members present their creative achievements in different arts. At the ZDGNS seat there is a permanent art exhibition.
Details of the Board President: Franc Planinc (D) Board Members: 9 deaf members and 5 hard of hearing members. (Marked D, HoH and H)
Details of the Staff Executive Director: Aljosa Redzepovic, masters of science (H) Other staff: 3 deaf employees and 4 hearing employees (Marked D, HoH and H)
Statistics General Population of your country? (Including hearing people) 2,025,000 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? 1,850 How many people are members of the NAD?13 clubs of deaf and hard of hearing - 5,600 deaf and HoH Does your National Association of the Deaf publish any magazine or newsletters for your members? Yes, 10 times in year - magazine is named "Iz sveta tisine" / "From world of silence" since 1978, virtual paper of the magazine on www.zveza-gns.si. Does your National Association of the Deaf have Youth section? No, in process.
Status of Sign Language Is Sign Language legally recognised as part of your Government's constitution? As a separate law, Slovenian Sign Language is legally recognised from November, 2002
Status of Sign Language Interpreters Approximate number of qualified sign language interpreters: 36 Details of training centre/courses: School for interpreters (1 year training, special certifying and prior knowledge of sign language)
Technology Does your country provide Video Interpreting Service? No If not, when will it be implemented? In process in Governments' bodies
Deaf centre/clubs How many deaf centres/clubs? 13 Details of the deaf centre/clubs: - DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING CLUB LJUBLJANA - DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING CLUB PODRAVJE, MARIBOR - DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING CLUB CELJE - DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING CLUB KOROSKA, DRAVOGRAD - DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING CLUB NORTHERN PRIMORSKA, NOVA GORICA - DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING CLUB KOPER - AURIS - INTER-COMMUNAL DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING CLUB GORENJSKA, KRANJ - DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING CLUB DOLENJSKA & BELA KRAJINA, NOVO MESTO - DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING CLUB POMURJE, MURSKA SOBOTA - DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING CLUB POSAVJE, KRSKO - INTER-COMMUNAL DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING CLUB VELENJE - INTER-COMMUNAL DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING CLUB SLOVENSKE KONJICE - MUNICIPAL DEAF CLUB LJUBLJANA
Universities/Sign Language Units Are there any Universities that deals with Sign Language? (Deaf Studies, Linguistics, Interpreting) Faulty of pedagogic-special education - surdo-logo, and audiologopedy
Deaf Schools Number of Deaf Schools: 3 Education method (Sign Language, Oral or other methods): Main Deaf School Centre in Ljubljana has bilingual method (Oral and Sign Language), in two other centres (Maribor and Portoroz) have oral method
History of the NAD - First attempts of adult deaf people in Slovenia to establish their own organization originate from the far 1909. Their fundamental rights and interests have been identified already in that period. The first club was formally founded in 1931. - In 1999, the NAD named Zveza drustev gluhih in naglusnih Slovenije (ZDGNS) was recognized - after a previous approval of the Ministry of Education & Sports, and the Ministry of Culture - the status of association working for the public interest in the field of social care. In 2003, the Ministry of Labor, Family, and Social Affairs issued a decree on the disability status organization. Since 2004, ZDGNS has been registered as a representative disability organization. - ZDGNS is an umbrella organization uniting 13 inter-communal member clubs. It is the executor of 25 special social programs at the state level as well as 103 social programs at the local level that are performed by the clubs of persons suffering from this particular category of disabilities. The clubs have a professional secretary. - Together with other national disability organizations, ZDGNS actively participated in the elaboration and adoption process of the Law on Disability Organizations which was passed in 2002. This Law regulates status, the sphere of actions, financing and ownership of disability organizations. - ZDGNS actively collaborated in preparation of the Law on the use of Slovene Sign Language. ZDGNS is also the founder of the Slovene Sign Language Interpreter's Association which has got authorization for certain public services according to provisions of this Law.
Who are the most important people in your country's history? Anton Cerne, founder of first deaf organization in Slovenia. Ciril Sitar, founder of deaf company, which deaf workers have the work education and difference manufacture graphic and leather jobs Ivan Strekelj, deaf academic sculptor Samo Petrac, first Slovenian winner of medals in Winter sports on Deaflympics and winner of ICSD Rubbens Award of 2001 year Miha Zupan, first deaf professional basketball player in National and European Basketball League
Future events International day of the deaf in Maribor, Slovenia, 27.september 2008 Text here |
