Irish Deaf Society

The Irish Deaf Society (IDS) is the national representative organisation of the deaf, serving the interest of the Deaf community. It upholds the status of Irish Sign Language (ISL), which is the first and preferred language of Deaf people in Ireland. It provides a number of specific health, personal and social information services to Deaf adults, children and their families.

Mission of The Irish Deaf Society
The IDS seeks to enhance the standard of living for all Deaf people, who have traditionally faced the threats of poverty, limited employment opportunities and other difficulties, due to lack of public understanding or appreciation for the essential needs of Deaf people.

The IDS is recognised by the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) and the European Union of the Deaf (EUD). The latter is recognised by the United Nations and the European Union.

Objectives of IDS
The main objectives of the IDS are:  To empower and enable Deaf people to participate in positive action to further their independence and full participation in the community The advancement of public education concerning the rights of Deaf people The advancement of public education concerning civil and human rights in accordance with the United Nations Standard Rule for Equalisation of People with Disabilities and the World Federation of the Deaf To promote the status of Irish Sign Language (ISL), which is the language of the Deaf community as their primary means of communication.

In 1880, an international conference, dominated by non-deaf, in Milan, Italy banned sign language in favour of the pure oral method of communication in education. It was known as Oralism, which used a method of compulsory learning through speech and lip-reading at the expense of sign languages, with some cases indicating the use of extreme physical force that had both an emotional and psychological impact on the education and well-being of Deaf children.

Oralism began in Irish Deaf schools in the 1940’s and progressed throughout the 1950’s. While the status of sign language and Deaf empowerment surfaced in many western countries in the 1960’s and 1970’s, oralism in Irish Deaf schools remained, which was endorsed by the Irish Government in 1972 without consulting with the Deaf community. The end product of this method is that 80% of the Deaf adult community have a reading/writing literacy level of 8-9 years of age.

The Deaf community took this matter into their own hands by forming their own group called Deaf Action Group, a backbone of the IDS during the United Nations International Year of the Disabled in 1981. The IDS changed the general public’s view on the Deaf community especially in terms of ISL, the abilities of Deaf people and the flaws of oral education. Deaf people became more independent; whose leadership brought local Deaf-run groups with special interests such as Women, Youth, Technology, Arts and Culture, and a Gay and Lesbian group.

Current Work of IDS
In the 1990’s, the IDS made a major organisational transformation to halt the continuing trend of paternalism and to fortify the Deaf community by establishing the umbrella group called the National Council consisting of local Deaf groups in Ireland to create policies and priorities of the Deaf community. This progress brought a new wave within the Deaf Community, its language and culture. However, discrimination in Irish society continued, leaving us marginalised and socially excluded.

Notwithstanding the barriers, the IDS public continue to quest for the full human rights of Deaf people as follows: Recognition of ISL in the Irish Constitution Reformation of the Irish Deaf education system Increased quantity of ISL interpreters Full Broadcasting and Telecommunication access of Deaf people Enhanced higher education and employment system of Deaf people Eradication of discrimination and paternalism of the Deaf community

Services of the IDS
The IDS runs Deaf Access to Learning English Project (DALEP) to produce an educational DVD in ISL and to develop e-learning, based on ISL teaching such as distance videophone and web e-learning. The contract with the Department will expire on 31 December 2006. The IDS also runs the Deaf Adult Literacy Services, which include English classes, Deaf History, Computers, Driving Test Theory and Digital Creativity, all through Irish Sign Language.

The IDS developed a community-based advocacy through networking. The IDS runs a “Building Healthy Communities” project to promote health services and information for Deaf people in ISL. The long-term aim is to form partnerships with the Department of Health and Children and other health service providers.

The IDS provides comprehensive information on Deaf-related matters to the Deaf community, parents, teachers, professionals, volunteers and service providers with services as follows:

DeafInfo, a Deaf Community notice board with news, notice and events on RTE Aertel Page 525 – 527

e-info Irish Deaf Source, a fortnightly updated newsletter through e-mail

Irish Deaf News, a bi-monthly IDS magazine, launched December 2005

<li>A library that serves as a national resource centre of Deaf-related publications, including books, DVDs and videos

<li>The IDS established a two-year development plan for an ISL Academy. It is designed to prepare and implement a strategy for the development of ISL, organising ISL courses and to promote the status of ISL.

<li>The IDS has advanced a network of ISL based Information Technology, including videophone and DVD information dissemination. The funding will enable the IDS to develop current multi-media services that are accessible to Deaf people and to carry out technical research to identify the friendly use of technology that would benefit and improve access for the Deaf. Recently, the IDS have worked with the following agencies Comhairle, Equality Authority, Irish Cancer Society and the National Adult Literacy Agency.