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Deaf Studies

  • The Irish Deaf Society is an organisation that represents the interests of Deaf people in Ireland. The IDS is a young organization, established in 1982 by the deaf community of Ireland in response to what they felt was a lack of quality in services for the deaf rendered by non-deaf organizations.
  • DearHear.ie has campaigned since 1963 for full equality in all aspects of life for deaf and hearing impaired people, and for parents of deaf children to have all appropriate supports and services for their children's developments of services generally. The NAD also provides a wide range of services directly.
  • The Irish Deaf Youth Association was established so that it could represent Deaf Youth at a national level. The IDYA organizes activities and events for young people (over 18) in the Deaf community.
  • The SIGNALL Project: SIGNALL II is a Leonardo da Vinci funded project. It is promoted by Interesource Group (Ireland) Limited partnered with the Centre for Deaf Studies,Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), Irish Deaf Society (Ireland), Finnish Association of the Deaf (Finland), University of Sussex (UK), the Foundation for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship, Lodz,(Poland) and Grant Advisor, Brno (Czech Republic). It aims to create an accredited multimodal digital course introducing localized content for the Perspectives on Deafness (POD) course for each of the partner countries in their respective languages. SIGNALL will also develop an accompanying e-book to accompany the course.
  • The Forest Bookshop is a publishing house that specialises in books on deaf-related issues and topics. Visit the Deafness and Deaf Issues online catalogue.
  • The British Deaf Association exists to ensure that Deaf people using sign language have the same rights and entitlement as any other citizens, and represents the British Deaf Community on an international level through membership in the World Federation of the Deaf and the European Union of the Deaf.
  • Gallaudet University has won worldwide renown as the only liberal arts institution dedicated to the education of deaf and hard of hearing students. Today, Gallaudet University offers a full complement of undergraduate degree programs as well as master's and doctoral degrees in several disciplines. On campus, it also supports two laboratory pre-college programs, the Model Secondary School for the Deaf and the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School.
  • Gallaudet Research Institute is internationally recognized for its leadership in deafness-related research. GRI researchers gather and analyse data concerning the demographic and academic characteristics of deaf and hard of hearing populations, primarily to provide information needed by educators in the field.
  • Galludet University Press has enjoyed twenty years of leadership in publishing on Deaf issues. Gallaudet University Press publishes books on and for the Deaf community. It publishes scholarly and general interest books, children's books and sign language and textbooks.
  • The American Annals of the Deaf is a professional journal dedicated to quality in education and related services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing children and adults. First published in 1847, the Annals is the oldest and most widely read English-language journal dealing with deafness and the education of deaf persons.
  • The Art & Cultural Society of the Deaf website is aimed at creating more awareness about Irish Deaf History, Culture that has being collected and passed down through the years.
  • Sign Writing in Ireland. This website has information on sign writing.
  • AHEAD: Association for Higher Education Access and Disability. AHEAD is an independent voluntary organisation working to promote improved access for persons with disabilities to Third Level Education in Ireland, North and South.
  • Hands On is the magazine programme for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Ireland. The programme goes out twice a month on RTE 1 on Sundays at 10.45am. The programme is produced by a mixed Deaf and hearing team.
  • IrishDeaf.com was created in February 2003 as part of a project for European Year of People with Disabilities. This Directory is created to help people find relevant, up to date, easy to access information about the many clubs and organisations etc., catering for the Deaf. All organisations including those in Northern Ireland are listed, thereby making this website directory a very handy tool the Deaf community.
  • Sign Languge Interpreting Service (SLIS) is a national sign language interpreter agency. Bookings can be made through this one central agency. Provides registered interpreters for any situation that requires sign language interpretation.
  • Kerry Deaf Resource Centre provides all types of services to Deaf sign language users and Hard of Hearing in a culturally and language safe environment. Can provide all types of awareness training using the social model of deafness.
  • The International Bibliography for Sign Languages offers an excellent overview of references in the area of linguistics, sociolinguistics (e.g. bilingualism, language acquisition, language policy and planning), Deaf culture, deaf education and a range of other topics of relevance to Deaf Studies students.
  • Bridge Interpreting provide interpreting and translation services in Irish Sign Language/English.
  • Irish Association of Sign Language Interpreters (IASLI) is the professional representative organisation for Irish Sign Language interpreters in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
  • Irish Translators and Interpreters Association (ITIA) represents the interests of translators and interpreters in Ireland. It aims to promote the highest professional and ethical standards in translation and interpreting.
  • Deafness, Cognition and Language (DCAL) at University College London focuses on two key themes: 1) Modality -- to what extent do languages that make use of the vocal and the visuo-gestural channel differ - and how are they alike; and 2) Experience -- deaf people have extremely varying language backgrounds, ranging from deaf children who are born to signing deaf parents, to the deaf child born to hearing parents who communicate only through speech.
  • Bristol University’s Centre for Deaf Studies opened in 1978 and was Europe's first academic institution to concentrate solely on research and education that aims to benefit the Deaf community. The majority of teaching staff on the programme are Deaf and all tutors sign. Students at the Centre for Deaf Studies in Bristol will study within a bilingual environment, with an emphasis on acquiring fluency in British Sign Language (BSL).
  • The European Union of the Deaf (EUD) is a European non-profit making organisation whose membership comprises National Associations of Deaf people in Europe. Established in 1985, EUD is the only organisation representing the interests of Deaf Europeans at European Union level.
  • World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) is an international non-governmental organisation representing approximately 70 million Deaf people worldwide. It is estimated that more than 80 percent of these 70 million live in developing countries, where authorities are rarely familiar with their needs or desires. Recognised by the United Nations (UN) as their spokes-organisation, WFD works closely with the UN and its various agencies in promoting the human rights of Deaf people in accordance with the principles and objectives of the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other general acts and recommendations of the UN and its specialised agencies. When necessary, WFD uses special, legal or administrative measures to ensure that Deaf people in every country have the right to preserve their own sign languages, organisations, and cultural and other activities. Most important among WFD priorities are Deaf people in developing countries; the right to sign language; and equal opportunity in all spheres of life, including access to education and information.
  • European Forum of Sign Language Interpreters (EFSLI) is a membership led organisation of Sign Language Interpreters consisting of; national & regional associations, individual & associate members from within and out with the European Union.

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