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    Unlocking educational opportunities in sign languages in Europe

Unlocking educational opportunities in sign languages in Europe

The DeafSign project aims to promote sign language learning opportunities in Europe. It will provide guidelines and resources for policy makers and professionals working in the educational sector. The ultimate beneficiaries of this project are vulnerable deaf, hard of hearing and hearing signers from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds including deaf children and their families, deaf refugees and migrants, and heritage signers.


Wie Sie mitmachen können


Team


Ressourcen

www.ecml.at/DeafSign

Working languages of the project: English, International Sign Language
Project term: 2024-2027
Shortcut: www.ecml.at/DeafSign
Administration: view page

Why this project is needed

The majority of deaf & hard-of-hearing (DHH) children and their parents, caregivers and family members, heritage signers and DHH refugees and migrants with linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds in Europe have no access to sign language education. There is an urgent need to establish guidelines, recommendations and practical resources to promote quality standards for the provision of learning opportunities for vulnerable learners. The project and its envisaged outputs will enable policy makers and professionals in the early childhood and adult educational sector to support inclusion, plurilingualism and democratic participation of these vulnerable learners.

Target groups

Policy makers and professionals in the educational sector working with deaf signers with refugee and immigration backgrounds, deaf children and their families and heritage signers

Educational levels concerned

  • Early education / pre-school education (in the context of deaf children and their family members as well as heritage signers)
  • Adult education (in the context of deaf signers with refugee and migration backgrounds)

Envisaged project results

 Guidelines, recommendations and resources to support quality provision of sign language learning opportunities...

...for deaf signers with refugee and migration backgrounds designed for policy makers and professionals in adult education
Target groups: policy makers and professionals in the educational sector working with adult deaf signers with refugee and migration backgrounds

...for deaf children and their parents designed for policy makers and professionals in the field of early education
Target groups: Policy makers and professionals in the educational sector working with deaf children and their families

...for heritage signers designed for policy makers and professionals in the field of early education
Target groups: Policy makers and professionals in the educational sector working with heritage signers

Forthcoming events


29-30

Apr 2025

ECML programme 2024-2027
Network meeting for project coordinators of the ECML programme 2024-2027
Mehr erfahren

15-16

Mai 2025

Unlocking educational opportunities in sign languages in Europe
Workshop
Mehr erfahren
   Please turn on subtitles for the following videos:




How to get involved?

Workshop, 15-16 May 2025

Workshop description

Review and development of guidelines and recommendations/resources for policy makers and professionals in the educational sector working with vulnerable sign language learners (deaf signers with refugee and immigration backgrounds, deaf children and their families as well as heritage signers).

Möchten Sie teilnehmen?

Personen mit besonderem Interesse und beruflichem Hintergrund am Thema dieses speziellen Projekts sind eingeladen, mit der nationalen EFSZ-Nominierungsstelle in ihrem Land Kontakt aufzunehmen, damit sie für die Teilnahme am entsprechenden Projektworkshop in Betracht gezogen werden können.

Project team and partners

Christian RATHMANN
Coordinator
Germany
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
christian.rathmannhu-berlin.de 

Lorraine LEESON
Communications officer
Ireland
Trinity College Dublin
leesonltcd.ie

Radka NOVÁKOVÁ
Second language documentalist
Czechia
Charles University in Prague
radka.novakovaff.cuni.cz

Péter Zalán ROMANEK
Website correspondent
Estonia
Tallinn University, School of Humanities
peter.romanektlu.ee

María Luz ESTEBAN SAÍZ
Website correspondent (2024)
Spain
Centre for the Language Normalization of the Spanish Sign Language
cnlsecnlse.es

Associate partners

Beverly BUCHANAN
Nova Scotia Community College & Sign Language Institute Canada, Canada
bbuchananslicanada.ca

Thomas GEISSLER
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany
thomas.geisslerstaff.hu-berlin.de

Kristin SNODDON
Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada
ksnoddontorontomu.ca

 

Related resources

Release of the CEFR Companion Volume International Sign Language Version

The Council of Europe organised a webinar in September 2024 on the importance of sign languages and their teaching, learning and assessment through the CEFR Companion Volume. The webinar focussed on: 

  • sign language rights and participation in line with European legislation; 
  • sign language teachers' perspectives on the use of CEFR CV and its translation into national languages (written and signed); 
  • first insights into the implementation of CEFR CV in sign language teaching, learning and assessment; 
  • and recognition of sign languages in Council of Europe Member States.

More information