Community Centre for Information and Counselling
INFO-CLUB
SENZOR
For
many deaf, sign language is the only accessible mean of communication, but most
hearing people are not familiar with this visual language. Those deaf who cannot
understand lips reading communicate almost exclusively among themselves. In the absence of the services of an interpreter, they have to restrict their communicational relationships to persons who
are familiar with the sign language. There is therefore a strong need for
professional interpreters of the sign language to serve in public offices and
at agencies which offer services to the population (at mayor's office, at the
lawyer, at the doctor, in shops etc.). Although this necessity is officially recognised
by the Romanian Government and included in the legislation, in practice very
little has been done to train and appoint such interpreters.
Deaf
young people find themselves at the edge of society not just as the result of
their exclusion from access to information, but also in relation to other
essential aspects of their life: education, employment, social safety and
access to culture. The lack of access to important sources of information is
only aggravating their situation. Social exclusion of deaf has strong roots in
the mentalities at individual, group, community and societal levels, which are
generating various forms of overt and covert, formal and informal
discrimination. Most hearing people are not familiar with the right methods of
communication with a deaf person. The lack of special concerns and
consideration for the particular needs of people with hearing disabilities is
likely to amplify their perception of being regarded as second class citizens.
The
task to ensure significant change in the cultural-informational context in
which hearing disabled young people live, requires therefore urgent affirmative
action at local community level. After considering several options, we reached
the conclusion that the easiest and most cost-effective measure in this regard
would be the setting up of a special Community
Centre for Information and Counselling designed for the needs of young
persons with hearing disability. The overall objective of the Centre is to provide communicational barrier-free access to
information and counselling for the hearing-impaired young people, in order to
improve the quality of their life and promote their social inclusion. In view of this general objective, the Centre aims to achieve the following main
specific goals:
1. to raise
the informational standards of deaf young people and ensure the
possibility to exercise their right to be
informed, by providing sign language translation of public information and
opportunities of sign language interpreter-mediated communication with
authorities, public institutions and social service providers.
2. to improve the professional,
educational, family and community integration of deaf youth by offering
accessible occupational and psychological counselling, and by assisting them to
find a job
3. to develop
the communicational abilities of
young deaf by organizing computer- and Internet training courses, and groups of
linguistic self-development (in order
to improve both their sign language and oral communication skills).
4. to strengthen community ties and improve the quality of
community life among deaf young people, by setting up a special web page,
by editing a journal and by organizing cultural events, all designed according
to the special needs of hearing impaired.
In
this Centre hearing disabled shall have the opportunity to:
·
acquire basic computer and
Internet knowledge
·
access information from the
Internet
·
consult the special web
pages designed for their needs and contribute to it
·
access the available books
and magazines
·
receive personal counselling
in professional, educational and psychological matters
·
attend lectures and have
discussions on themes of special interest for them
·
practice oral language in
parallel with sign language
·
find a friendly community
·
participate in cultural
programs designed in accordance with their special needs
The services of the
Centre include access to a database and special library, Internet-access,
counselling in professional, educational and personal matters, assistance in contacting
authorities, other public institutions and potential employers. Within the framework of the Information Centre, the deaf young people
will be offered training in computer and Internet skills, including web page
creation. These training courses will be translated into the sign language. In
order to make easier for beneficiaries the selection and accessing of the
information essential to them a special
web page will be created, to be designed in such a way as to be accessible
to deaf people. In the same time, within the Centre will function groups
of linguistic self-development in order to provide help, motivate and
stimulate young deaf wishing to improve their sign language communicational
abilities, as well as their oral expression, writing and reading skills.
For
the first year of activity the following main results (expressed with the help
of estimated quantified indicators) are expected:
1. Accessible
information, counselling and communication with public institutions to be made
available for an estimated number of around 500 beneficiaries;
2. Job opportunities to be identified for an
estimated number of 60 beneficiaries.
3. Computer and Internet
literacy to be achieved by 35-50 beneficiaries, improvement of sign-language
and oral linguistic skills to be achieved by 40-45 beneficiaries
In order to implement this project, the Senzor
Foundation established a partnership with the Caritas Association of Satu Mare.
The partnership contract stipulates that Senzor Foundation shall receive office
space for the purpose of establishing a Community Centre for Information and
Counselling for the benefit of the hearing impaired young people. The Centre
shall bear the name INFO-CLUB SENZOR. Under the terms of the partnership
contract, the two organizations will cooperate in providing social services for
deaf youth. Beyond office space, Caritas shall provide office furniture and
part of equipment while the Senzor Foundation shall provide part of the
equipment and also contribute to the payment of Internet connection fees.