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EUD News |
EUD office moves to Brussels |
On 2nd October 2006, the EUD secretariat will move to new offices in Brussels.
The new office will be located on:
Galeries de la Toison d’Or
29 Chaussée d’Ixelles #393/32
1050 Brussels
BELGIUM
The new telephone and fax numbers for EUD are:
- Telephone: +32 2 289 70 36
- Fax: +32 289 70 37
Please make sure to change our contact details in your address book.
The EUD email addresses info@eudnet.org, mairead@eudnet.org and kvp@eudnet.org will remain unchanged.
The EUD Board and Staff would like to thank FEVLADO for their tireless cooperation & assistance over the past four years. Thank you! |
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EUD seeking Executive Director |
EUD wishes to recruit an EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
Based in Brussels and reporting to the EUD Board, the Director will be responsible for:
- monitoring EU policy and programmes
- preparing project applications, networking
- fostering and maintaining contacts with EU institutions and other NGOs
- representation of EUD at meetings/conferences throughout Europe
- financial and operational management of the EUD secretariat
To download a detailed application pack for the position of Director, please visit our website http://www.eudnet.org
Deadline for receipt of applications is 17th November 2006 . |
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EDF News |
New historical United Nations Treaty to protect the Human Rights of disabled people |
The UN Convention adopted on 25 th August 2006, the eighth international human rights Treaty in history, will prohibit discrimination against 650 million disabled people in the world.
Five years of intensive negotiations at UN level have been necessary for the adoption of the international text, the first human rights text adopted in the past 16 years.
The new Convention is based on existing human rights Treaties and their application to people with disabilities. Its aim is to guarantee an effective protection of disabled people and ensure that they can benefit from the most basic human rights. The text prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in all areas of life and addresses access to the full range of human rights: civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including through positive actions.
For the European Disability Forum (EDF), the representative organisation of 50 million disabled people in Europe, the adoption of the Convention is a landmark step forward that will significantly reinforce the protection of millions disabled people against discrimination in the world. “This Convention will be vital in our long fight against daily discrimination of disabled people and sends a strong message to the world: disability is first and foremost, a Human rights issue”, declared Yannis VARDAKASTANIS, EDF President.
EDF has actively been involved in the development of this process, since a proposal was put forward in 2001 by Mexico. In particular, the European Disability Forum was involved in drafting the first working text of the Convention and has regularly been part of the EU Member States delegations.
Moreover, it has played a major role in facilitating the work of the International Disability Caucus, an alliance of organisations of people with disabilities and other allies active in the negotiations. It must be noticed that, for the first time in the UN history, the role of NGOs has been vital in elaborating the new Treaty leading to its very positive outcome.
The new Convention pays particular attention to the situation of women with disabilities, as well as to the rights of children through both specific provisions, and a mainstreaming approach. It also includes a strong Treaty monitoring body, and an optional protocol on individual (or group) complaints and state enquiries, which will be open for signature and ratification by States concurrently.
EDF welcomes the fact that, for the first time, the European Communities will be party to a human rights Treaty, and therefore, will be scrutinised as the signatory States, as regards the implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities.
The European Disability Forum calls for a rapid adoption of the Convention by the UN General Assembly at its next session, opening in September. EDF also invites the EU member States, as well as candidate countries for accession, and the European Communities to agree on a rapid signature and ratification process. Finally, the European Disability Forum is confident that the European Union, which has played a proactive role to guarantee a high protection level of disabled people in the Convention, will continue to work towards an effective implementation of the Convention and will share a comprehensive approach in the future development of European non-discrimination legislation.
The text of the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People (non-edited version) is now available at:
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/ahc8docs/ahc8draftconv.doc |
Source: EDF Press Release
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The adopted draft text for the Convention was also a historical moment for Deaf people and sign languages over the world as it will be the first human rights treaty of the 21 st century, and a first binding treaty specifically protecting the rights of persons with disabilities in all areas of life.
Above all, the Convention will acknowledge recognition and promotion of sign language, deaf culture and linguistic and cultural identity, quality education in sign language, professional sign language interpreting and acceptance and facilitation the use of sign language. The World Federation of the Deaf is very satisfied with the accomplishments concerning the protection of rights of Deaf people in the draft Convention.
However, some items in this draft need to be considered. WFD was very disappointed to notice that at the last minute a footnote was added to article 21 on legal capacity in Arabic, Chinese and Russian languages. This footnote may prevent also Deaf people to enjoy legal capacity in many parts of the world. WFD supports the initiative made by many countries and International Disability Caucus to reconsider the footnote before final Convention is adopted by the General Assembly.
WFD would like to thank to all the Deaf representatives who attended the Ad Hoc Committee meeting in August. We were pleased to see 14 Deaf representatives from 10 countries at this last meeting. Members of the WFD’s delegation were WFD President Mr. Markku JOKINEN, WFD President Emerita Dr Liisa KAUPPINEN and Board Members Colin ALLEN and Martha Lucia OSORNO POSADA. Also Board Member Valery RUKHLEDEV attended the meeting as a member of Russian state delegation. Special thanks go to Dr. Liisa KAUPPINEN who has been following this process from the very beginning. Her support and endless work to cover Deaf people’s rights in this Convention has been significant. Thank you Liisa for all your work!
More information on the Convention, please do go to check on www.wfdeaf.org. |
Source: WFD Members’ Circular September 2006
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European Union News |
European Commission issued a training manual to combat discrimination |
Under the framework of the European Community Action Programme to Combat Discrimination, the European Commission has developed a training manual to combat discrimination with the aim of providing information on European and national anti-discrimination, law and policy to non-governmental organisations in the 10 new UE member States.
This manual can be downloaded on the following link:
http://www.humanconsultancy.com/Training%20manual%20participants.doc |
Source: EDF Weekly Mailing 23/2006
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Launch of European Parliament traineeship programme for disabled people |
Several initiatives to improve the equality of opportunities for disabled people have been taken by the Secretariat of the European Parliament.
Recently, a specific traineeship programme for disabled people was adopted by the Bureau of European Parliament on 4 September. The programme is an example of positive action, as it is an addition to other traineeship options available and will offer the opportunity of a paid five-month traineeship to ten disabled candidates in 2007.
The text of the programme has been launched in 22 languages. A description of the programme and the application form are available on the Euro-parliament website, click here.
The programme will also be launched through the EP Information Offices.
For more information, please contact Janina Arsenjeva: janina.arsenjeva@edf-feph.org |
Source: EDF Weekly Flash 26/2006
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Deaf News around Europe and the World |
First WFD General Secretary passed away |
Dr. Cesare Magarotto passed away on 24 August 2006, at 89 years. He was born in Padua, Italy. He was the last founder of WFD, during which time the WFD General Secretariat was established in Rome in 1951. He was the General Secretary for 36 years from 1951 – 1987.
Dr. Magarotto contributed so much to Deaf people all over the world. He set up the first meeting in Rome in 1951, bringing delegates representing national associations of the Deaf from different countries. He played an important role in cooperating with the United Nations and other organisations.
He was so good at communicating with any Deaf people from other countries, and he developed International Sign (formerly known as Gestuno) along with Dr. Dragoljub Vukotic former WFD President 1955 - 1983. |
Source: WFD Members’s Circular September 2006
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Sign Language Interpreters in short supply in Northern Ireland |
The ‘Hands On’ good practice guide for Government departments was launched recently. This project is a part of a Government project to increase access to information in British and Irish Sign Language for the local deaf community.
Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure Maria EAGLE reiterated her Department’s commitment to working to increase the number of qualified interpreters throughout the province. At present, there are only nine qualified interpreters working in Northern Ireland, servicing a community of approximately 5000 deaf sign language users.
The Minister said: “Government has a responsibility to encourage respect for British and Irish Sign Language as a part of the rich linguistic diversity that exists in Northern Ireland today.
Government is looking at areas such as improving the supply of tutors and interpreters in Sign Language. We need funding for courses to attract more people to train as sign language interpreters and tutors and those people need the assurance of employment. It is a slow process but I believe we are getting there.”
Professional interpreters allow sign language users quicker and better access to services such as the NHS, the police and public bodies. Currently in Northern Ireland, sign language users are made to wait longer for an appointment with their GP or hospital than hearing patients, due to the three-week waiting time to book an interpreter. Similarly, sign language users have difficulty accessing an interpreter for meetings at work, or parent teacher evenings, or taking up further education, due to the insufficient number of qualified interpreters available locally.
The Minister also launched a booklet by Brian SYMINGTON and John CARBERRY, published by Linenhall Library, titled: “British and Irish Sign Languages – The Road to Recognition”. The booklet outlines progress made over the last century in developing sign language awareness and usage in Northern Ireland, culminating in official recognition of British and Irish Sign Languages in 2004. |
Source: Press release by RNID (Royal National Institute for the Deaf)
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11th World Deaf Magic Festival hosted by Russia |
The 11 th World Deaf Magic Festival was held in St. Petersburg, Russia from 28 th May – 4 th June 2006.
50 entrants from 16 countries, plus lots of tourists, settled into the hotel with a busy week ahead. The first evening was the opening ceremony, beautifully performed with the World Deaf Magic President John GAPP (UK) presenting the World Deaf Magic Festival Flag to Nikolay CHAUSHYAN, the President of the All Russia Deaf Society, with the traditional Russian method of the president breaking the bread and handing it to everyone. Every night the magicians performed to a packed theatre with Stage, Comedy and Illusion Magic. There was even a children’s section with performers all under 13 yrs old from the USA, Russia and the Ukraine, as well as a female magician section from Russia, the USA, Ukraine and Germany.
In the closing A.G.M. meeting and workshop John GAPP was voted again to remain as President, as was Tolya REZNIK, Vice President ( Ukraine) and Dr Simon CARMEL (USA) as Secretary General. The members voted for the festival 2010 to be in Rimini, Italy. The next festival 2008 will be in the L.A. district of California. |
Source: Sign Matters September 2006
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Scottish Association of Sign Language interpreters – New director takes up challenge |
The Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters (SASLI) have great pleasure to announce the appointment of Helga McGILP as their new Director. Helga will take up post in November.
Helga brings with her a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience that she has gained as Director of Scottish Deaf Association (SDA).
Helga has already indicated the need to move the association in a positive and progressive direction with key stakeholders such as the Deaf community and other major players in the public, voluntary and private sectors. This appointment is truly inspirational and ground breaking for the Deaf Community as Helga is herself Deaf and a British Sign Language (BSL) user. As a recipient of interpreting services she is fully aware of the skills and standards that are required.
With the appointment of Helga, the first Deaf Director of an Interpreting association in the UK, the introduction of a compulsory programme of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) earlier this year, also a first within the UK and with many more developments in the field, this is indeed an exciting time for the BSL/English interpreting community.
"This is an important time for SASLI due to their new vision for the future, which is to achieve equality in access to communication for Deaf and hearing people. I am looking forward to working with key people and ensuring that Deaf people are at the forefront of improving access and standards in BSL/English interpreting in Scotland." says Helga.
"This year SASLI reaches its 25th anniversary and will be celebrating the many achievements it has made within the field of BSL/English Interpreting. At this exciting time we look forward to Helga taking up post as Director and building on the foundation which has been laid, by seeking to further promote and enhance the standards and work of BSL/English interpreters with all its stake holders" says Andrew DEWEY – Convener. |
Source: Email and www.sasli.org.uk
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Inuit sign language may get legal status in Nunavut (Canada) |
Nunavut (in the Northern part of Canada) already recognizes four languages: English, French, Inuktitut and Innuinaqtun. Now it is considering legal status for two sign languages, one of them apparently unique to deaf Inuit.
If that happens, the territory would be the first jurisdiction in Canada to recognize an indigenous sign language. It would also have to develop more services for deaf people.
There are about 155 deaf people in Nunavut. While many of them learned American Sign Language in southern schools, deaf Inuit who don't know ASL tend to communicate with a combination of hand signals, body language and facial expressions that is being called Inuit Sign Language. A 1999 court case involving a deaf man drew attention to the possibility that an indigenous sign language existed in the territory.
Jamie MacDOUGALL, a specialist in language and perception, was brought in from Montreal to determine if the man could communicate in any known sign language.
After spending time with him in his home community of Baker Lake and viewing videos of deaf people in other communities, MacDOUGALL realized they had many signs in common.
"Watching people communicate, I found that, well, there did seem to be a very powerful language there," said MacDOUGALL, who is a professor at McGill University in Montreal. "So that set us on a trend to recognize what I've termed Inuit Sign Language."
At a recent workshop for deaf people and their families, Inuit from opposite ends of the territory found they could communicate with in a common language.
Mary Rose ANGUSHADLAK came from Rankin Inlet to interpret for a deaf relative. "I'm really hoping that it will be recognized ... because it's in our language," she said.
New legislation to protect languages is expected to be introduced in Nunavut's legislature early next year. The department responsible for official languages is putting together a proposal to include both Inuit Sign Language and American Sign Language in that bill. If it passes, it would give the government a mandate to develop more services for deaf people. |
Source: CBC News - http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/07/23/inuit-sign060723.html
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Other News |
Council of Europe adopts concrete measures for improvement of the quality of life for people with disabilities |
Representatives from the member States of the Council of Europe, meeting in St Petersburg on 21-22 September, have launched the Council of Europe Disability Action Plan 2006-2015.
It aims to improve the quality of life, inclusion and active participation in society of people with disabilities, and to strengthen equal opportunities and non-discrimination. To this end, participants in the Conference have just adopted the “St Petersburg Declaration”. They recommend to member State governments to integrate in their policy, legislation and practice the principles and actions set out in the Council of Europe Action Plan. All relevant bodies and committees of the Council of Europe are invited to adopt a co-ordinated, strategic approach to ensuring that the implementation of the Disability Action Plan will be monitored and regularly evaluated to identify progress.
The following specific recommendations were developed in the workshops of the Conference:
- to move gradually but purposefully towards de-institutionalisation, with an urgent focus on the needs of children;
- to create positive conditions in the way that working life is organised for people with disabilities;
- to secure interaction between all branches of authority and state administration structures in the different spheres, as well as securing their social partnership and ongoing dialogue with NGOs.
The full text of the “St.Petersburg Declaration” under the name “Improving the quality of life of people with disabilities in Europe: participation for all, innovation, effectiveness” and the Disability Action Plan is available on http://www.coe.int/ |
Source: Press Release
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EUMAP publishes reports about the rights of people with disabilities in the era of education of employment |
EUMAP, a program of the Open Society Institute (OSI), monitors the development of human rights and rule of law standards and policies both in the European Union and in its candidate and potential candidate countries.
EUMAP has produced a series of reports monitoring the rights of people with intellectual disabilities in Europe. This monitoring was carried out in cooperation with the Open Society Mental Health Initiative.
A total of twelve country reports have been published, focusing on the access to education and employment of people with intellectual disabilities, in the series “Rights of People with Disabilities: Access to Education and Employment”.
The reports were drafted by local experts with the support of partner NGOs and monitor the degree to which existing international standards and national legislation are heeded and applied. Each report contains a list of concrete recommendations for improving policies, and ensuring the implementation of these policies in practice.
They are published in both English and the national language.
To download this report, please visit the following website:
http://www.eumap.org/topics/inteldis/reports |
Source: EDF Weekly Mailing 23/2006
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EDF Chair in European Disability Law publishes « From Rome to Nice in a Wheelchair » |
Professor Lisa WADDINGTON holding the European Disability Forum Chair in European Disability Law at Maastricht University in the Netherlands issued her lecture of the inaugural ceremony of the Chair in European Disability Law which took place on 1 April 2005.
Her lecture gives an overview of the steps that have been taken by the European Union to develop a policy relating to disability and disabled persons since its foundation. Initiatives in the period prior to the adoption of the Amsterdam Treaty were characterized by limited action programmes and a lack of binding policy measures. The inclusion in the EU Treaty of Article 13, which provides for the adoption of measures to address disability discrimination; the mobilization of an active disability movement, and the recognition of a new social model of disability, have resulted in significant developments from the mid-1990s onwards.
The most important legal development has been the adoption of the Framework Employment Directive in 2000, which prohibits employment related discrimination on the grounds of disability and requires that reasonable accommodations be made for disabled people. The impact of this provision in a number of Member States is considered and Professor Lisa Waddington reflects on possible ways forward for the EU disability policy.
For more information, contact the EDF Secretariat : olivier.hirsch@edf-feph.org or fax: +32/2/282.46.09. |
Source: EDF Weekly Flash 26/2006
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Forthcoming Events/Agenda |
Nordic Mental Health Seminar for Sign Language users “Towards welfare by cooperation” |
Date: 6 - 8 October 2006
Place: Helsinki, Finland
Website:www.kl-deaf.fi |
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Vacancies |
Project Adviser within Cambodia Deaf Skills Development Project |
The Finnish Association of the Deaf and Maryknoll Cambodia welcome interested and qualified persons to apply for the position of Project Adviser within the Cambodia Deaf Skills Development Project. Applications from Deaf people and people with disabilities are encouraged.
General Information
The Cambodia Deaf Skills Development Project (SDP) is financed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. It is part of the Deaf Development Programme (DDP) administered by Maryknoll Cambodia. SDP is a three-year programme consisting of two components; two years of basic education (sign language, literacy, life skills) for Deaf people with no prior language or education, and one year of job training.
Job Description
The Adviser will be employed by the Finnish Association of the Deaf and work with the DDP staff in the DDP headquarters in Phnom Penh, Cambodia under the supervision of the Maryknoll Cambodia Project Director. The contract period is 1 January – 31 December, 2007 with an option for a second year in 2008.
Application procedure
A statement of interest (by e-mail, telephone, fax or post) should be sent to Ms. Nanny Stenman, Project Coordinator:
An information sheet and interview questions will be sent to the applicants. Applicants shall answer the interview questions on videotape, using either spoken English or signing with International Signs.
The videotape and a Curriculum Vitae of the applicant should be sent by courier service to:
The Finnish Association of the Deaf
Nanny Stenman
Ilkantie 4
FIN-00400 Helsinki
FINLAND
Deadline: The videotape should arrive in Helsinki no later than 15 October, 2006.
For all inquiries, please contact Nanny Stenman at nanny.stenman@kl-deaf.fi, tel: +358 9 5803459 or mobile/SMS +358 40 7553011. |
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Editorial note
EUD Update is published by EUD in English with support from the European Community – the European Union against discrimination.
The information contained in this publication does not necessarily reflect the position or opinion of the European Commission, nor the official policy of EUD. The publication is for information only. Readers are invited to reproduce the information provided the source is quoted.
If you wish to receive EUD Update, please send us an email at: info@eudnet.org.
Should you wish to make any contribution or notify any e-mail address modification, please do not hesitate to contact the EUD secretariat, Fax: +32 9 225 08 34, E-mail: info@eudnet.org.
Editors: Mairead O'LEARY and Karin VAN PUYENBROECK. |
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EUD, 29 Elsense Steenweg/Chaussée d’Ixelles #393/32, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
Tel + 32 2 289 7036 - Fax +32 2 289 7037
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