Welcome to our new project

  • Welcome to our new project “Deaf Culture, Heritage and Diversity”!
  • Our goal is to help deaf youth and youth workers learn more about Deaf Studies.
  • Deaf studies means: learning about deaf people, their community, culture, and sign language.
  • We want them to understand and respect deaf culture, heritage, and diversity better.
  • We hope to give deaf youth workers the tools and information they need to support deaf youth.
  • Heritage means: the special things from the past that we keep and remember, like stories and traditions.
  • Diversity means: having different kinds of people, like different cultures, languages, or backgrounds.

“Deaf Culture, Heritage and Diversity”!

Our goal is to bring Deaf Studies closer to deaf youth and youth workers, enabling them to better understand and appreciate deaf culture, heritage, and diversity.

We aim to empower deaf youth workers with skills and knowledge about Deaf Studies, enriching the knowledge of deaf youth. 

Background

  • Deaf Studies is about deaf culture, heritage, diversity, and sign language.
  • It’s usually taught in colleges and universities,
  • so people who don’t become interpreters or sign language teachers often miss out.
  • Deaf youth often learn about their culture from interpreters in mainstream schools,
  • not from a good Deaf Studies teacher.
  • But it’s important for them to understand their culture and be proud of it.
  • Youth workers are in a great position to do,
  • but they often don’t have the materials they need to teach Deaf Studies.

Deaf Studies is a field that covers the unique aspects of deaf culture, heritage, diversity, and sign language. Currently, Deaf Studies is mostly taught at colleges and universities (academic level), leaving those who do not pursue a career as interpreters or sign language teachers with little to no knowledge about Deaf Studies. 

Too often, deaf youth learn aspects of Deaf Culture from their interpreters in mainstream (secondary or vocational) education. 

It’s important for deaf youth to understand their own culture and heritage. Being aware of these aspects means that deaf youth can take pride in their identity and language, actively participating in society. And who is closer to these deaf youth than youth workers? Youth clubs, associations, and other institutions currently lack, or have no, materials to convey Deaf Studies to deaf youth. 

Project goal 

  • The goal of the project is to help deaf youth understand and enjoy Deaf Studies, their culture, community, and history.
  • We want to bring knowledge about Deaf Studies directly to deaf youth.
  • How do we do this?
  • We train deaf youth workers in Deaf Studies.
  • These trained youth workers can then share their knowledge with deaf youth.

“Deaf Culture, Heritage and Diversity” (referred to as Deaf Studies in Europe for simplicity) aims to make deaf youth aware of the rich aspects of their culture, community, and history.

Where this knowledge has so far been confined to academics, interpreters, and sign language teachers, we intend to bridge the gap to deaf youth. This bridge will be built by developing and encouraging deaf youth workers in Deaf Studies, who can in turn pass on their knowledge to deaf youth. 

Expected outcomes 

Outcomes:

Our project will have results and materials:

  • Workshops: We design and offer workshops for youth workers, providing materials to teach Deaf Studies.
  • Trainings: We organize trial trainings to help youth workers understand how to teach Deaf Studies.
  • Videos: We make videos to make learning about Deaf Studies fun.
  • Dissemination: We promote information about our project and Deaf Studies.
  • Network: We build a network of deaf youth workers, to work together and share ideas.

Our Focus:

  • Our most important target group is youth workers aged 18 and older
  • They are motivated to support deaf youth.
  • By improving their skills and providing materials,
  • We hope for better support for deaf youth aged 16-25.

What can you expect from our bridge?

We’re developing an extensive package of workshops on Deaf Studies, organizing trial trainings for deaf youth workers, creating engaging videos, and ensuring wide dissemination of the subject and the project.

  • By developing tailored workshops for youth workers, creating educational materials, and organizing trial trainings, we aim to enrich deaf youth aged 16 to 25 with knowledge and understanding of Deaf Studies.
  • Recognizing the importance of collaboration and knowledge sharing, we are building a network of deaf youth workers in Deaf Studies. This network will facilitate innovation, ultimately leading to improved quality of youth work.
  • Our primary target group is dedicated youth workers aged 18 and older, who play a significant role in the lives of deaf youth. By enhancing their skills, we ensure better support for deaf youth.
  • To improve the competencies of our youth workers, we organize trainings. These trainings will not only equip them with practical skills but also deepen their appreciation for deaf culture, enabling them to create more inclusive workshops for deaf youth.

“Nothing about us without us!”

Nihil de nobis, sine nobis!

James Charlton

a disability rights activist and author, who used it as the title of his 1998 book.

The first motto dates back to Poland in the 1500s.

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