Croatian Association of Deafblind Persons DODIR Croatian Association of Deafblind Persons DODIR

Sanja Tarczay, M.A. President of the Croatian Association of Deafblind Persons DODIR What’s new in deafblind interpreting in Europe

DEAFBLIND ISSUES Terminology Identity Communication

TERMINOLOGY

TERMINOLOGY FOR DEAFBLIND PERSONS Deaf with visual impairment Blind with hearing impairment Deaf Usher Deaf Vision Impairment Deaf – VI (Deaf Visualy Impaired) Deaf and blind Deaf-Blind

TERMINOLOGY FOR DEAFBLIND PERSONS “Deafblind person” “Deafblindness” Deafblind International

OFFICIAL DEFINITION OF DEAFBLINDNESS “Deafblindness limits a person’s activities and restricts her/his full participation in society to such a degree that society is required to facilitate specific service, environmental alterations and/or technology” Nordic definition of Deafblindness, approved in 2007

IDENTITY

IDENTITY ACCORDING TO PRIMARY DISABILITY hearing and seeing deaf Deaf deafened hard-of-hearing blind or partially sighted Deafblind deaf with visual impairment blind with hearing impairment

COMMUNICATION

SOME COMMUNICATION METHOD USED BY THE DEAFBLIND IN THE UK Block Bold Print Format Braille British Sign Language (BSL) Clear Speech Communication technology (induction loops, infra red systems) Computer technology Cued Articulation Cued Speech Deafblind Manual Alphabet Hands-On Signing Haptic Lipreading Lipspeaking Makaton Moon Paget Gorman Pictorial Exchange Communication System (PECS) Print on palm Signalong Signed Supported English (SSE) Tadoma

DEAFBLIND EDUCATION individual courses (Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Norway, Switzerland) group courses (Hungary, Switzerland)

DEAFBLIND EDUCATION Deafblind persons do learn new communication skills (Hungary, Norway, Switzerland) Deafblind persons do not learn new communication skills (Bulgaria, Croatia)

WHAT WE NEED Superinterpreter!

WHAT DO WE KNOW NOW?

TERMINOLOGY FOR DEAFBLIND INTERPRETERS Sign Language interpreters Interpreters for Deafblind Communicator-guides Support service providers Intervenors

“Deafblind interpreters” Board of the Association of the Swedish Deafblind (FSDB) TERMINOLOGY FOR DEAFBLIND INTERPRETERS

OFFICIAL DEFINITION OF DEAFBLIND INTRPRETING ”Deafblind interpreting is a requirement in order for people with deafblindness to achieve full participation, equality, independence and self-determination in every area of society. Deafblind interpreting is the provision via an intermediary of both visual and hearing impressions to people with deafblindness. This comes about through three fully integrated elements. These elements are: the interpreting of speech; environmental description; and guiding. Deafblind interpreting is provided using the interpreting methods, on the occasions and to the extent requested by people with deafblindness.” Board of the Association of the Swedish Deafblind (FSDB), approved in 2008

ROLES OF DEAFBLIND INTERPRETER interpreting of speech guiding describing environment

DIFFERENT INTERPRETING METHODS Tactile Interpreting Close Vision Interpreting Visual Frame Interpreting Clear Speech Interpreting Interpreting by Finger Spelling or Manual Alphabet Speech-to-Text Interpreting

AVAILABLE COURSES IN EUROPE formal (Finland, Hungary, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, UK) informal (Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary)

EDUCATIONAL LEVELS OF FORMAL COURSES high school (Norway, Sweden, Switzerland) university (Sweden, Switzerland) part of the vocational training of interpreters (Hungary)

LENGTH OF COURSES one week (Bulgaria) six months (Switzerland) one year (Switzerland) approx 20 2-hours lessons (Switzerland) three years (Norway) three to five years (Sweden)

NUMBER OF LEVELS OF COURSES one (Bulgaria, Croatia, Norway, Switzerland) two (beginner, advanced) (Switzerland) depends on the person and the capacity of professionals (Hungary)

INTERPRETER EDUCATION educating interpreters for the Deaf to become interpreters for the Deafblind educating people with no experience PROBLEM

INTERVENOR EDUCATION a step in becoming a deafblind interpreter – INTERVENOR for the deafblind different work scope – informal situations, bacis communication skills and methods, aiding the elderly in everyday chores (reading mail, doing shopping, following TV news) Croatia offers official curriculum for INTERVENORS (1 semester, with requirement of finished course of sign language and skills assessment)

INTERPRETER EDUCATION Jelica Nuccio & Theresa B. Smith (2010). Providing and Receiving Support Services: Comprehensive Training for Deaf-Blind Persons and Their Support Service Providers. Seattle : Seattle Deaf-Blind Service Center, The National Curriculum: An Introduction to Working and Socializing with People Who Are Deaf-Blind (2001). San Diego : DawnSign Press,

NEW ACHIEVEMENTS IN DEAFBLIND INTERPRETING

EFSLI established a summer school in Zagreb, Croatia, 2009 Interpreting for Deafblind Persons (Theory and Practice, Deafblind Interpreting, Ethics/Ethical Standards) beginning of cooperation and development of deafblind interpreting at EFSLI

EDBU & EFSLI signed a Memorandum of Understanding strenghtening the cooperation between EDBU and EFSLI a step towards making of standards for deafblind interpreting in Europe

WFDB established a Deafblind Interpreting Working Group

WFDB established a Deafblind Interpreting Working Group

WASLI established a Deafblind Interpreting Committee

WASLI result is the document “DeafBlind Interpreter Education Guidelines”, available at WASLI web page

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