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Description
People with deafblindness (PwDB) in Romania are an extremely vulnerable group, who are marginalized, isolated, affected by inequalities and social exclusion. The two impairments, visual and hearing, raises barriers in accessing services of all kinds, given the major difficulties in communication, orientation and mobility, accessing information, as well as the lack of interpreters specialized in deafblindness (DB). According to international estimations from 2018, the prevalence of DB is of 0.2-2% of the population, meaning between 40,000 – 400,000 people affected in Romania. Over time, Sense International Romania has worked with more than 500 children, young people and adults with DB. Despite being recognized in legislation, DB continues to be insufficiently known and understood, a relevant example in this sense being the small number of people with DB in official statistics: 77.
The project aims to:
- lay the groundwork and increase the capacity of 40 people with DB to become a voice capable to fight for their rights, through meetings meant to empower them and provide them with the tools for self-representation, aiming at establishing a representative association of people with DB;
- ensure their access to the services they need, through training of a group of 20 sign language interpreters to specialize in DB (20% of the total number of authorized interpreters in Romania), a field that interpreters currently have little or no knowledge of at all.
In parallel, the project will increase the level of awareness, though national campaigns dedicated to improved knowledge and understanding of DB.
In partnership with Sense International UK and collaborating with the World Federation for the Deafblind (Norway), as well as other institutions and organizations, Sense International Romania will support PwDB to have a voice, to be seen and heard. Finally, they will gain the capacity to advocate for the social inclusion of the entire group of PwDB in Romania.
Summary of project results
For two years, Sense International Romania, in partnership with Sense International implemented the project "Voice of People with Deafblindness in Romania", a project aimed at supporting the community of deafblind people in Romania to become a voice, capable of fighting for their own rights.
The project activities were the following: A community of 45 members with deafblindness was formed, who were involved in 4 workshops, 17 online meetings and a final conference. Additionally, 25 family members, who supported the participants in communication, orientation and mobility, also took part in the activities. The end of the project actually represents the beginning of a new chapter, in which this group of people with deafblindness decided to form a representative association, with the aim of promoting the rights of people with deafblindness in Romania. For the first time ever in Romania, a training course for interpreters in Romanian Sign Language was created and organized. Two years in a row, around December 3rd - the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I TOO HAVE A VOICE! Campaign was organised. Thus, 1,211 students with visual, hearing or deafblindness disabilities, along with 515 teachers and parents, from 22 special education schools throughout the country, participated in the clay-therapy activities within these campaigns. From the perspective of organisational development, the following were developed: the organisation strategy (2023-2027) and the Fundraising Strategy (2024 – 2027). Two fundraising campaigns were run, and the foundation of two more strategies was set: communication and advocacy.
The 45 beneficiaries with deafblindness were more informed about deafblindness, deafblind people rights, employment, safeguarding, self-representation, advocacy, awareness and sensitization, the advantages and steps of forming a formal group. There was also an increased collaboration and support from family members taking part in the activities. The establishment of an association is a tool for advocating for the rights of people with deafblindness. The 17 interpreters, well versed in Romanian sign language, acquired the notions, knowledge and skills necessary to support the communication process of people with deafblindness. The awareness campaign helped by increasing the level of knowledge and awareness of deafblindness. In the end, the organisational development activities strengthened organizational capacity and strategic planning for future initiatives, while fundraising efforts supported ongoing and future projects.