Grundtvig 2013 - Proiect Window

Workshop titled „Facilitating the social and professional integration of deaf people, sign language by using the European Sign Language” was held between 12-16 March 2013 and was organized and implemented by the Association of Window Romania. The workshop was held with 13 deaf participants, since three were from Romania and 10 from other European countries. The activities for 5 days were non-formal and focused on sign language field.

Topic of the workshop was: addressing target groups with special needs, addressing target groups with special needs, active citizenship, democracy, human rights, particularized for deaf people.

The activities for the 5 days have aimed to implement the European Sign Language Applied Arts in pantomime, in Legislation and Administration in social life, in family and job.

The 13 participants, who have shaped and developed communication skills in European sign language, which will transfer the learning outcomes in their community and who met European legislation regarding the rights of persons with disabilities, especially those with hearing impairments.

Among the 13 participants were promoted cultural exchanges between deaf communities in Europe, establishing the priority application in one of the new partnership programs in component Erasmus 2014 +, having as the central theme of sign language.

Each of the 13 participants conducted in local community dissemination of workshop results to over 300 people from communities and organizations for the deaf people in within the six participating countries.

Through the page www.facebook/AsociatiaWindowRomania the project results were viewed by about 10,000 people in Europe, mostly deaf people.

The concrete activities of the workshop

This workshop promotes adult education throughout their entire life, promotes sign language among European Deaf people, in order to encourage the mobility, cultural , social and professional rates. The project proposes that the 13 beneficiaries to become, in turn, some resource persons, in the European sign language for others interested to learn.

Through this project, Romania Window Association, will begin the work with five other organizations for Deaf people in Europe, which will provide the target group and promote further into the Deaf people community, learning the European sign language.

The workshop supports 13 adults with disabilities (deaf), being at risk, due to lack of jobs for them. This workshop supports their needs by facilitating the communication in European sign language, aims to a better communication, to search for jobs on the EU market and to facilitate their access to information and specific Community legislation for people with disabilities.

The learning, promotion and use sign language between various deaf communities of Europe, is an innovative and new practice, is in the line with EU principles. This practice will be transferred, towards the deaf communities from all over Europe, through this Workshop results, social networks and sites dedicated to the deaf people.

The concrete aims and objectives of the workshop

Purpose of the workshop is to promote European sign language used in deaf communities, in within to five countries, through the 13 participants, the effective method of access to information on legislation and European labour market.

The objectives are the following:

• training skills to use European sign language for 13 deaf participants;
• training for English language skills in 13 deaf participants;
• skills training in using the internet as a method of access to European information and labour market, for 13 deaf participants;
• promote cultural exchanges, between deaf communities in Europe.

Specify the direct and indirect target groups benefiting from the Workshop results

The direct beneficiaries will be the 13 participants from EU countries, 3 Romanians included, who will not have funding from Grundtvig.

The indirect beneficiaries are the deaf people that belong to the communities participants, who will transfer skills to use European sign language, will gather new information on European legislation, periodical information on background and professional opportunities. Other indirect beneficiaries will be the deaf people from all over Europe, coming into relationship with the 13 participants through social networks and by receiving information about European sign language.

The 13 participants are adults, and eager to learn and use the European sign language. They must have an active attitude towards social and professional integration of deaf people in the EU, they have to be members of national organizations that advocate for the deaf their fundamental rights.

The participants will be selected in collaboration with five national associations of deaf people in the EU. The persons selected from each organization, will be able to use learning outcomes, in the interest of as many deaf people from their own community.

European added value

The 13 participants in the European learning sign language will realize that they can communicate easily with others in Europe, that can be made more efficient and easier joint activities between European deaf people, they can communicate in a easier way about the rights of persons with disabilities and thus they will be more active in social and professional integration of these European citizens.

This workshop may become the beginning of cooperation, the 13 participants at the European level, by using learning outcomes, transfer the innovation to other projects that have as addressing to a broader target group.

The 13 participants will establish channels of communication and dissemination methods common and uniform at European level, learning to the project continuity.

Through the dissemination activity of information and learning in a workshop, the 13 participants will promote at the European level, the need for learning European sign language as a need of deaf people in getting information and European exchanges.

After the language training, the 13 participants will become competent in basic English, which will facilitate the use of Internet and the access to European information.