IDS Update

Information Office

The Information Office remained active and busy despite the summer closures of the Over 55s Day Centre and Men's Shed. Walk-in clients, using both ISL and International Sign Language, continue to use the Information Office, with high demand for assistance with passport and public service card renewals, medical card applications, and accessing personal tax information online. The Information Officer also helped clients with online bookings, boosting their confidence in using computers.

The Information Office continues to share event details and other relevant information with the Deaf community through various channels. These include the WhatsApp Channel, which has 130 followers, E-Info newsletters, social media platforms, and the TV display in the Information office. Information is also spread by word of mouth to walk-in clients.

Community Outreach Officer

We are delighted to welcome the newest addition to our team, Emily Matassa. Emily is familiar with the role from her previous job, although travelling around Ireland will present new challenges for her. She will introduce herself as the Community Outreach Officer to local organisations. It will take some time to connect with Deaf people across these regions.

Submissions

ISL Charter

We're excited to announce the Draft ISL Charter, aimed at improving access and rights for the Deaf community under the ISL Act 2017.

The Irish Sign Language (ISL) Charter is a document aimed at promoting and supporting ISL and the Deaf community in Ireland. It focuses on raising awareness, improving education and training, enhancing accessibility to services, advocating for legal recognition, and supporting Deaf culture.

Once approved, it will be translated into ISL and launched on the International Day of Sign Languages, 23rd September. Stay tuned for more!

Mental Health Position Paper

Our updated Mental Health Position Paper, now more focused on Deaf research, will be shared with the Mental Health Working Group soon. A meeting is planned for October.

ISL Act Review

We're preparing for the review of the ISL Act 2017, due by 2025. IDS is working closely with the NDA and others to ensure the best possible outcome. More updates coming soon!

Rethink Ireland Funding

IDS has requested consultant support for Communications and Marketing. We met with consultant Sam Whelan and Rethink Ireland to plan 5 days of consultation. The aim is to develop a Social Media strategy and promote new resources like the English-ISL Dictionary and Online Deaf Awareness Training Platform.

On August 19, the Advocacy Administrator and Manager attended the funding launch in Galway with 14 other awardees. Minister Anne Rabbitte launched the project. It was a great opportunity to meet the Rethink Ireland team and discuss projects with other awardees. The press release is available here: Rethink Ireland Press Release.

National Council Members

On August 14th, a Zoom meeting with eight National Council Members (NCMs) discussed plans for International Week of Deaf People 2024 (IWDP24). IDS will provide letter templates to help NCMs connect with local officials and landmarks. Ideas included daily themes, sign language events, and social media promotion.

The Advocacy Project Officer had an informal meeting with the new Community Outreach Officer before their official meeting in September. They discussed the current relationship between NCMs and the IDS, as well as how NCMs connect with their local communities. They also talked about the support materials and videos available for NCMs and reviewed the database that holds all the information related to NCMs.

Deaf Awareness Training

We provided two Deaf Awareness Training workshops in August; both were delivered to public bodies with a total of approx. 48 people in attendance. This brings us to a total of approx. 374 people who have attending a Deaf Awareness Training workshop in 2024. We received positive feedback from the two workshops in August.

We have 7 workshops scheduled for September, with most of them taking place during ISL Week.

As part of the Rethink Ireland project, we will be recruiting more presenters to our Deaf Awareness team! We hope to advertise this early in September with training taking places for all presenters in October.

International Week of Deaf People 2024

• For International Week of Deaf People 2024: Preparations for a week starting from Monday 23rd to Sunday 29th September including:
• Press Release: The Research and Policy Officer is preparing a press release for ISL Awareness Week, to be approved by the CEO, translated into ISL, and shared with media.
• ISL Charter: The Information Officer is working on setting up the ISL Charter on the IDS website.
• Website Updates: The ISL Awareness Week page has been updated with new videos on the daily themes, signs related to Coffee morning and Parkrun.
• Filming: A filming schedule for early September will focus on ISL Awareness Week themes, with videos edited to include Voice Over and subtitles.
• RTE Collaboration: Discussed IWDP24 plans with RTE, including cultural events and online engagement.
• Daily Videos: A series of weekly videos will preview IWDP24 details, with a highlight reel coming soon.

Deaf Career Project:

• Funding Opportunity
  • In August, we discovered a potential funding opportunity through Pobal’s ESF+ New Solutions Fund (Phase 2). It opens in 2025 and supports our mission to help Deaf people find jobs.
• ISL Career and Education Glossary
  • We finished filming a 30-word ISL glossary! It’s now being edited, and we plan to release one word per week to promote IDS Career Services.
• Career Workshops with FET
  • This autumn, we’ll start work on 10 career workshops with IDS FET. These will focus on CV writing, interview preparation, and job search resources.
• FET DAC Tutors Workshop
  • We’re planning a special workshop for FET Tutors, including Peer Mentors and interested Tutors.
• DCP Reach Funding Update
  • Peer Mentors will continue 1-to-1 Career Guidance sessions. We've used 63% of the project funding so far and are requesting a six-month extension to complete the final goal.

Further Education and Training (FET)

FET has been actively preparing a range of courses and workshops starting this September. Most of our Deaf Adult and ISL classes are fully booked, onsite and online, reflecting strong interest and demand. We’re delighted with the positive response and are now focused on planning for the Spring Term 2025. Expect some exciting, brand-new courses that we’ve never offered before!

Fundraising:

Irish Deaf Society Shop Bray 95 Main Street Bray is now operating for 2 months, and the shop is taking on its own personality and becoming part of the local community. Call in and browse our treasure trove of clothing, homeware, books and special unique pieces. Barbora, Min and the team will be on hand to help you find what you are looking for.

For further information about the shop including donations and volunteering opportunities WhatsApp 0862037609 or email bray@irishdeafsociety.ie

Look out for Mark Doyle and his team of volunteers out fundraising for the Irish Deaf Society. They have recently been fundraising in various locations throughout Ireland.

Published: 19/09/2024

IDS 42nd AGM and National Council Members Workshop 

 On 8th June, A morning workshop for National Council Members (NCM) representatives was conducted in line with the IDS Strategic Plan 2023-2026. Key topics included the need for better networking, support for connecting with local services, setting up dedicated NCM emails, and creating a special section on the IDS website and a Facebook page for event advertising.

Our IDS 42nd AGM was held in the afternoon in Athlone 

The Advocacy team plans to maintain regular contact with NCM delegates and provide training in governance, policy, social media, and event planning.  

Advocacy 

Information Office 

The Information Office and Advocacy Department are very busy, with the clients using the service here in the Information Office and Advocacy Department.  

The Information Officer continues sharing information with the Deaf community through vlogs on social media, website, E-Info and the TV display in the Information Office. 

IDS Updates (Community News)

As discussed at the team management meeting, it has been decided to rename the community news because the name led everyone to believe that it was focused on news from the community, while it is for updates on IDS's activities. 

Submissions 

Pre-budget Submissions: 

The Research and Policy Officer worked on the pre-budget submission with the help of the Advocacy Manager and Advocacy Administrator. The team received full support and attended a consultation event by DCEDIY, where they raised similar concerns to those in the IDS submission. 

ISL Act Cross Community Group: 

Seven of the thirteen organizations attended the ISL Act group meeting. Twelve participants, including the Policy and Research Officer, attended the meeting. The officer gave an update on the submissions, which impressed the attendees. The main topics discussed were the ISL Curriculum and the voucher scheme. 

Rethink Funding 

The Irish Deaf Society (IDS) was awarded €114,789 from Rethink's Disability Participation Fund for the Deaf Awareness and Resource Development Project. The project aims to expand Deaf Awareness Training, launch a new pilot project on DAT online platforms, and begin the first phase of developing the ISL dictionary. 

Deaf Awareness Training  

In July, the team provided 3 workshops. The Advocacy Administrator has had many queries for upcoming sessions, with September already looking like it will be busy for DAT. This is due to ISL Week being in September. 

Deaf Career Project:  

In June, the Deaf Career Project had a great month. We held a successful Peer Mentor Workshop to teach mentoring skills and discussed career paths for peer mentors. We are continuing work on the ISL Glossary in July. We are looking for new funding to keep the project going and are talking to the FET department about it. We helped nine clients with their job searches and plan to offer more support through future workshops.  

In July, the project explored new funding from Pobal to create job opportunities for Deaf people. We finished the ISL Glossary with 30 career terms, which is now being edited. We made plans with FET to run 10 Career Workshops in the autumn and arranged a workshop for FET's DAC tutors to ensure consistent career support. We applied for IDS representation on the CDETB board to strengthen partnerships. Feedback from clients was very positive, with many finding jobs or getting promotions. 

IHREC Thought Forum 2: AI and Digital Transformation 

IHREC hosted a forum about AI and digital changes, looking at both the good and bad aspects. The Advocacy Manager and Project Officer were there, and they talked about problems like biased algorithms, facial recognition issues, and how older people often feel left out of new technology. 

They discussed the helpful ways AI can be used, especially for people with disabilities. However, there are also worries about false information, scams, and the environmental impact of AI. The forum emphasized the need for better rules and teamwork to make sure AI is safe and fair. Concerns were also raised that AI can use old and biased information, which might negatively affect certain groups. 

Comreg Forum: Equivalence of Access and Choice; Electronic Communication Services 

The FET Course Management Assistant, filling in for the FET Course Manager, attended the Comreg meeting with the Advocacy Manager. The meeting reviewed previous actions and Comreg presented updates on the Irish Text Relay Service (ITRS). Improvements were highlighted, but there were disagreements leading to a discussion. IDS suggested updating the ITRS website to improve ISL translation placement and offered to help promote ITRS to the Deaf community. 

Dr. Nora Duggan – First Deaf Woman from St. Mary’s School to Earn a PhD 

Dr. Nora Duggan, a PhD candidate in Linguistics, has specialized in multilingualism among Deaf people. Her research examined Deaf adult migrants' use of Swedish Sign Language and Swedish in educational settings. She recently defended her thesis, "Deaf migrants in Swedish adult education: Language ideologies, repertoires, and translingual practices," at Stockholm University. Nora is the first Irish Deaf woman from St. Mary’s School, Cabra, to achieve this. The Advocacy Manager attended her defense via Zoom. 

Deaf Legal Network UK 

The Deaf Legal Network (DLN), initiated by barristers from Garden Court Chambers in the UK, connects Deaf-led organizations and legal professionals. Its goals are to share best practices, create referral pathways for legal advice, and address unfair treatment of Deaf communities. The Advocacy Manager attended an online webinar and worked with DLN to support these objectives. 

Representatives:  

CIC & DNWP: Fair Deal Scheme Information Session
The Information Office set up an information session on the Fair Deal Scheme, presented by CIC Dublin Northwest Partnership, for the Deaf community on Tuesday, 9th July, in Cabragh Hall, DVI.

About 80 Deaf people attended, and there was a discussion where questions were asked from the audience. The event went well.

The session included presentations about how the Fair Deal Scheme works and how to apply for it. Key points include care assessment, financial assessment, HSE support, and approved nursing homes. 

Fine Gael & Law Society: Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015 & Enduring Power of Attorney

The Information Officer worked with Gayle Ralph, FG, and a legal expert from the Law Society to set up an information session for the Deaf community on Tuesday, 16th July, in Cabragh Hall, DVI. The presentation covered the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 and Enduring Power of Attorney. Approx 25 people were in attendance.

Key points of the presentation included enduring power of attorney, capacity to make decisions, appointed legal representatives, and the rights related to decision-making. There are some issues with the current scheme due to the need for a legal representative to sign the online application, however most solicitors are not comfortable signing this due to lack of involvement in the application. The representative from the Law Society explained this further. 

Mental Health Reform (MHR) National Suicide Prevention Strategy - Connecting Life 

The Centre for Effective Services is reviewing the suicide prevention strategy for an updated version to be released in 2025. The Advocacy Manager and Advocacy Administrator provided feedback from the Deaf community about the current state of mental health services and suicide prevention. They highlighted what is working and what needs improvement. Despite limited time, IDS provided detailed feedback for the new strategy. 

Meeting with Sky Ireland 

Sky Ireland is working to improve the experiences of Deaf people using its services. The Information Officer and Advocacy Administrator had an online meeting with Sky to discuss this in detail and share feedback from Deaf users. 

DPO Meeting with Mary Lou McDonald 

The Advocacy Administrator and IDS Chairperson attended a Zoom meeting with Mary Lou McDonald and Pauline Tully TD. The meeting was arranged to allow DPOs to share their key priorities for the next government. The Advocacy Administrator and Chairperson discussed points from the IDS Pre-Budget Submission. Mary Lou McDonald expressed interest in hosting more meetings with the group. 

International Week of Deaf People 2024

The International Week of Deaf People 2024, organised by the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), will take place from Monday, 23rd September, to Sunday, 29th September. Have a look at our webpage for different daily themes provided by the World Federation of the Deaf.  #idwp2024

Published: 12th August 2024

ISL Act Subgroup Meeting  

The Advocacy Manager established a subgroup to assess the implementation of the ISL Act 2017. It was decided that IDS would first discuss the action plans before inviting relevant stakeholders. The CEO, Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Research and Policy Officer, and Advocacy Manager were chosen as IDS representatives for the subgroup. 

Front Office Administration  

The Front Office Administrator attended an "Introduction to Easy to Read" Webinar hosted by DPCN and Inclusion Ireland. The webinar went through an initial guide on how to design Easy-To-Read documents. This will be of benefit in the future with creating Easy-To-Read translations of our publications and if necessary, Governance policy documents.  

Local Election and EU Election Information Meeting  

Local Election 

The Advocacy Team spent a lot of time preparing the local election information night and successfully invited 12 local candidates out of 19 from the Cabra and Glasnevin area. Eleven candidates turned up. Deaf members asked valid questions linked to the IDS manifesto.

 European Election  

The Advocacy Team invited candidates to come to the IDS Studio to film them explaining their priorities and answering some questions linked to IDS manifesto and these videos were shared on IDS social media platforms. We invited 23 candidates, but only 7 participated in the filming. A schedule of all 7 was made for one morning with a slot of 20 minutes per candidate and an ISL interpreter was provided by IDS.  

Information Office   

The Information Officer continues to be very busy with many Deaf people. The Information Officer also provided ISL videos every week through social media, our website, the weekly newsletter, and on TV displays to ensure that relevant information is shared with the Deaf community. 

Community News 

The Information Officer shared updates from the board's report for April 2024, selecting relevant and interesting information for the Deaf community. This information was shared on social media platforms, E-Info weekly, the website, and on the TV display at the Information Office.

WhatsApp Channel from Information Office  

The Information Officer has set up a new channel on WhatsApp for the Irish Deaf Society which anyone can follow. It is an ideal way of sharing information relevant to the Deaf community, so no one misses out. 

Link: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaeie7zLNSaAAwjxg700 

The Advocacy Project Officer has been invited as another admin. We've have over 100 followers so far and hopefully this number will continue to grow. 

ISL translations for IDS submissions 2024  

There have been three IDS submissions so far this year. The Information Officer is still working on translating all of them to ISL and uploading them on the website under the Publications page. One submission is now on the webpage – the remaining two will be translated as soon as possible. 

IDS Website Update Summary   

The Information Officer made sure the website's information remains up to date. ISL videos are uploaded on the home page with links for easy access.  

Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act and Enduring Power of Attorney  

The meeting on the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act and Enduring Power of Attorney for the Deaf community, scheduled for March 19th, was postponed due to a lack of ISL interpreters. 

The Information Officer has rescheduled the meeting with Gayle Ralph, FG and Local Area Representative. The agreed date will be announced as soon as possible, depending on confirmation of ISL interpreters' availability by Gayle Ralph. The Information Officer will announce to the public once the ISL interpreters are confirmed. 

This month, the Information Office provided ISL (International Sign Language) videos every week through social media, our website, the weekly newsletter, and on TV displays to ensure that information is shared with the Deaf community. The Advocacy Department has been very busy assisting Deaf people from Dublin and other counties with their advocacy needs and inquiries. 

ISL Act Cross Community Group (CCG)Meeting  

Six out of 13 organisations attended the CCG meeting. They went through the full agenda related to Deaf Education, ISL Teachers, and Interpreter issues. It is time to conduct an ISL Act Review as it will be due next year. It was agreed that the CEO will contact the NDA to inquire if they would be expected to be nominated to review the ISL Act, as they did in the previous report. It was suggested to explore whether anyone relevant to the ISL Act would be interested in joining the sub-committee focusing on the ISL Act Review. SLIS has shown interest, but IDS hasn't heard anything from them yet. The Chairperson can advise us on when to involve or invite a suitable person in the process. 

IDS & IHREC Breaking Barriers in Employment Conference by Noel O’Connell 

The IDS hosted the Breaking Barriers in Employment Conference to launch Dr. Noel O’Connell’s recent research, which was funded by IHREC. The Advocacy team provided support with this event, with the FET Course Management Assistant leading the event on the day. The research looked at inequalities and lived experiences of Deaf people in employment and the conference had 3 presentations by Dr. Noel O’Connell, Dr. John Bosco Conama and Dr. Jennifer Van Aswegen and the attendees found it extremely impactful and insightful. Also, the conference received a lot of attention on social media, which helped spread its message to more people and highlight the valuable work being done.

Submissions 

This month, the Advocacy Administrator and the Advocacy Manager supported the Research and Policy Officer in their new role as Research and Policy Officer and will now be responsible for submissions. It was agreed that both will provide support and information to the Research & Policy Officer as they transition into this role.  

The submissions that were completed this month are as follows:  

1. Green Paper on Disability Payment Reform 
2. IHREC Strategy Statement 2025–2027:  
3. Emergency Call Answering Service (ECAS) Survey:  
4. Mental Health Working Group (MHWG) Position Paper: 
5. IHREC Grant Scheme 2024-25: The Advocacy team helped the Research & Policy Officer apply for a grant to address barriers faced by ISL interpreters in education and employment. 

All will be translated in ISL and put on our website under publications page. 

Trinity College: Centre for the Deaf Studies   

Three second year CDS students visited the IDS Information Office. As part of their Deaf Studies course, they had the opportunity to research information on IDS, WFD, and EUD through IDS. They enjoyed the tour at DVI and learned more about IDS from the staff. 

Social Media  

In April, we saw increased engagement with more likes and positive comments, especially on recent posts featuring photos and ISL videos by the Advocacy Manager and Advocacy Project Officer at the Mansion House explaining about the IDS Deaf Career Project conference titled 'Future Learning and Work.' 

IDS Website Update Summary  

We're still working hard on our website, keeping everything updated and interesting for our visitors. We aim to make it easy for them to find what they need. 

E-Info Newsletter 

The Information Officer keeps sending the E-Info to over 600 emails, sharing the same updates as on social media every Friday at 5 pm. We're getting more info from hearing groups, like theatre shows with ISL interpreters. We still need to receive information from deaf organisations about their own events. 

EUD – Is it Time for EUD Census?  

EUD invited the NAD to attend their webinar titled 'Is it Time for an EUD Census?', which the Advocacy Manager attended. EUD reached out to discuss something really important for the Deaf community: conducting a large-scale survey to count all the deaf people in the EU. EUD currently lacks official numbers, making it challenging to formulate policies and advocate for them. However, with this survey, they aim to gain a better understanding of the deaf population and their needs. They the NAD, were provided with numerous questionnaires on how to collect statistics, the benefits and challenges of conducting a census for the Deaf community, and the potential problems associated with the census. It was an interesting discussion. Also, EUD announced that they will celebrate their 40th anniversary next year and will meet the NAD at EUD General Assembly in Brussels on 23rd May. 

Youth Homeless Service Training Steering Group 

The Advocacy Administrator is involved in a steering group focused on developing a HSE training module aimed at youth homeless service staff. The group met to review a draft of the first module which focuses on Understanding Disabilities and Homelessness. The Advocacy Administrator provided feedback to the group on the need to specify the needs of Deaf people, as the module initially was too generalised. There was no specific mention on communication needs of Deaf people and no reference to ISL. The group will meet in June again to review the changes.  

Social Inclusion Forum Focus Group on Disability by Community Work Ireland (CWI) and European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) 

The Advocacy Manager participated in a focus group workshop organised by CWI/EAPN to discuss the Mid-Review document, focusing on themes related to disabled people and policy implementation. The workshop had four breakout sessions, and the Advocacy Manager joined the one on Employment and Unemployment, which led to fruitful discussions. We discussed various topics, including the cost of disability, policy versus implementation issues, lack of consultation or engagement with DPOs, the medical model, delays in the NDI Strategy, the role of designated persons working with disabled people, and GDP expenditure on social protection for disability. It was noted that EU countries spend an average of 2% of their GDP on this, whereas Ireland's expenditure stands at 0.8%, making it the second lowest in Europe. 

The Advocacy Manager registered for the Social Inclusion Forum happening on 30th May. The Social Inclusion Forum was launched in 2020 alongside The Roadmap to Social Inclusion 2020-2025, so the theme of this forum covers Communities, Families and Children, Core Essentials, and Disabled People. 

Mental Health Reform (MHR) Prisons Report Launch 

The Advocacy Manager attended the launch of the MHR Prisons Report, which proved to be quite engaging. Minister McEntee's video speech emphasised her commitment to supporting prisoners' mental health needs, including the provision of psychologists to address the long waiting lists for assistance. The report, published by MHR, specifically addresses the mental health and addiction challenges faced by male prisoners, highlighting the prevalence of drug addiction among the 4,500 males currently detained in Irish prisons. It also notes that a significant portion of these individuals struggle with alcoholism, often as a result of boredom, isolation, and misuse. Following mixed-methods research, the report proposes various tiers of support, but it also identifies key challenges such as understaffing, language barriers, overcrowding, and the absence of dual diagnosis services. 

You can find other community news in ISL this year from January to March, including this month April, on our website under the Publications page.

Referendum Commission 

The issues surrounding the Referendum on Family and Care put a lot of pressure on us. We had to remain impartial as many members of the Deaf community expressed concerns about the votes, even though the Referendum Commission provided ISL translation on their information explaining the referendum. The community wanted more opportunities to discuss these issues, so IDS staff made a big effort to invite representatives from the organisations campaigning for a Yes-Yes Vote and a No-No Vote, however we were unsuccessful in these attempts. We therefore decided the best way to provide support was to do our own research on the topics and make a vlog clarifying the information available and explaining why some concerns were raised. We received a lot of support from the Deaf community, and we were disappointed that we could not provide the information session that was requested, but we were glad to see NDWI step in and arrange two evening information session giving both sides an opportunity to explain their voting stance. This helped others gain confidence in their voting decisions. 

Staff Training  

The Advocacy team attended as follows: 

1. 'The Wheel Webinar: Introducing Project Management'; Eileen Murphy led the event, where we learned about different parts of project management like planning, setting goals, monitoring progress, involving others, and handling risks. The webinar was helpful for people in nonprofit jobs, giving them practical tips for managing projects, including how it relates to the IDS Strategic Plan. 
2. ‘The Wheel Webinar: Canva for Beginners: Making the Most of Your Content.’ This workshop assisted people in getting better at making content using Canva, which is a tool for creating graphics. The webinar showed us how to make content that looks good and keeps our audience interested. It is suitable for beginners and people who want to get better. Rob Brown, The Wheel's Communications & Marketing Officer, led the webinar. 
3. IDS Strategic Plan for Advocacy Service. The Advocacy Team aims to understand the Strategic Plan thoroughly. While we are clear on how to implement it, we need assistance with consistently documenting our actions in the Strategic Plan report. Several areas require clarification, particularly regarding our top priorities among our wide range of services. 
4. Governance Code Training: The Front Desk Office Administrator attended this course. Hosted by The Wheel and led by Gerry Egan Consulting, this workshop was designed to familiarise people with each of the principles, core standards and advanced standards of adherence to the Governance Code. The workshop also helped with better understanding of the legal duties behind the code and how to ensure that the company is employing best practice in terms of good governance behaviour. 

Annual CDS Module – Working with the Deaf Community: 

During the CDS module - Working with the Deaf Community, the Advocacy manager gave her annual presentation, focusing on IDS, particularly the Advocacy service as the main service. CDS students attending the 1st year course of their degree programme, visited Deaf Village Ireland and watched the presentation for up to two hours, including interactive conversations and a tour of the IDS office.

Fourth Year CDS Student – Visit to DVI 

The Advocacy Administrator was asked by CDS lecturer to facilitate a visit by fourth year CDS students to DVI, and to share with them her experiences of graduating CDS and getting involved with the Deaf community. It was an informal chat in which they had an opportunity to ask questions and get clarity on their job prospects after CDS. The focus was on ISL and how to become more confident and fluent in ISL.  

IDS submissions to the government - ISL translations for the website

The Information Officer had all IDS submissions from 2023 translated into ISL by IDS Deaf Staff and uploaded them on the website under the publication section at https://www.irishdeafsociety.ie/publications/governmentsubmissions/ 

The section includes two ISL videos from the Advocacy Manager explaining:  

1. "Why does the Irish Deaf Society make submissions to the Government?" 2. “The Irish Deaf Society introduces the submissions” which is the same in all at the start of IDS submissions. 

Following these the Information Officer worked with all IDS staff to translate the submission topics listed below: 

• IDS Submission to Comreg: Review of Service Provider Accessibility Requirements 
• IDS Submission on CSO Census 2027 
• IDS Submission to Pathways to Work Consultation 
• IDS Submission to Public Consultation on Lifelong Guidance 
• IDS Submission to the Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport, and Media 
• IDS Submission to EPSEN Review 

The Information Officer will now do the same for submissions made in 2021/2022 and this will be completed in the next few weeks and will also keep up to date with any new submissions that are made in 2024 to ensure they are all available in ISL. 

Community News  

The first community news in ISL can be found on the IDS website's publication section.  https://www.irishdeafsociety.ie/publications/community-news/ 

The Information Officer shared monthly news taken from the board's report for January and February 2024, selecting what is relevant and interesting for the Deaf community. Two ISL videos for January and February were also shared on social media. We can improve the Community News further by adding information from all departments and we will make sure we continue to update the Community News every month. 

Deaf Awareness Training: 

We held 4 DAT workshops in March, with 3 of them for public bodies.Soon, the team will talk about hiring new DAT presenters because we might not be able to keep up with demand as the year goes on. 

Social Media 

In March, the Irish Deaf Society social media was busy. We focused on providing information and translating videos about the Referendum on Family & Care from IDS. It was important to stay neutral on this topic, because of the sensitive topic, and there were many debates within the Deaf community. 

Two main posts for this month were International Women’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day. 

1.International Women’s Day: Information Officer made an ISL video to celebrate International Women’s Day. The theme for this year was "#InspireInclusion," and we shared the video on social media on March 8th. The video was all about why it is important to include and empower women, especially in the Deaf community. The Information Officer filmed Deaf women from IDS and members of the Deaf Day Centre signing and explaining the theme "#InspireInclusion," giving examples such as women in employment, education, health, and life in general. Working with Deaf women from IDS and Deaf Day Centre members made the video more interesting and involved more faces from the Deaf community. 

2.St. Patrick’s Day: Information Officer filmed IDS staff and created an ISL video to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. The video was scheduled to be shown on social media on the 17th of March, featuring lovely stories about St. Patrick's Day, along with fun facts and myths. It was an enjoyable watch, and this was done with the assistance of the Advocacy Project Officer, who designed an excellent front cover for the video that attracts a lot of viewers to click and watch it. The video got good feedback and interaction online. 

We continue to post and share information that is relevant to the Deaf community. 

International Week of Deaf People 2024 / International Day of Sign Language – WFD 

The WFD has sent us information on the themes for International Week of Deaf people and the toolkit which includes all their logos and support letters, and information on the various events such as the Global Leaders Challenge. 

Info on the themes for the week of 23rd to 29th September is as follows:

Monday 23 September 2024 – International Day of Sign Languages: Sign Up for Sign Language Rights
Striving towards a better implementation of the CRPD at the national level through the linguistic human rights of deaf people in view of the 20th anniversary of the CRPD in 2026 

Tuesday 24 September 2024: Inclusive Education
Advocating for quality multilingual inclusive education that embraces and uplifts deaf learners through national sign language. Focus will be on the declaration on the Rights of Deaf Children  

Wednesday 25 September 2024: Sign Language Advocacy
Encouraging everyone to actively advocate for the rights of deaf individuals and the official recognition of national sign languages. Focus for this day will be the guidelines for Achieving Sign Language Rights 

Thursday 26 September 2024: Building Resilient Deaf Communities
Building the capacity of deaf communities on emergency preparedness and response to mitigate disaster risks and reduce deaf communities’ vulnerability in the face of disasters. 

Friday 27 September 2024: Diversity in Deaf Communities
Embracing the diversity in deaf communities where every deaf individual with intersecting identities is respected, valued and supported. 

Saturday 28 September 2024: Deaf Cultural Celebrations
Celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the deaf communities through the lens of sign language expression. Deaf Culture involves the behaviours, traditions, beliefs, values, history, humour, art that exists within Deaf communities. Deaf communities are proud of their linguistic and cultural identity. 

Sunday 29 September 2024: Investing in the future of deaf communities
Building bridges between deaf children and their families and deaf communities to ensure early exposure to national sign languages and access to language rich environments. We will encourage people to share on social media their vision of the future. 

The Information Officer has shared this information on social media platforms, our website and on the TV display in the Information office, giving us and the Deaf community plenty of time to prepare for the event during that week. 

E-Info Newsletter 

We continue to send out the e-info to over 600 members every Friday. We include our own updates, like what we share on social media, and events from other organisations.

IDS Website Update Summary: 

The Information Officer keeps the website up-to-date and easy to use. We have added important updates on the homepage, with links to more info.

Representatives:

Clare Leader Forum’s Historic book “We are Human Too” 

The Advocacy Manager attended the launch of Clare Leader Forum's book 'We are Human Too’ in Ennis, Co Clare. This publication is a testament to the resilience, strength, and diversity within the disabled people's movement in Ireland. The Advocacy Manager contributed alongside 38 others through in-depth interviews, participation in an expert panel webinar, completion of 41 detailed surveys, and engaging in numerous insightful conversations, all of which formed the foundation of this book. The book also includes perspectives often excluded from mainstream dialogues, highlighting the experiences of people within the mental health system, the Deaf community, neurodivergent individuals, those with intellectual impairments, and other intersectional marginalised experiences. This book is a historic achievement as it is the first comprehensive history written by and about disabled people in Ireland. The goal is to ensure it reaches politicians, policymakers, community activists, and allies. 

Chime MDT Webinar Series 

The Advocacy Manager attended the Chime MDT webinar, which focused on Autism and Deaf children. During the webinar, a psychologist highlighted the importance of considering both conditions when children have multiple additional needs, and how they can influence each other. This means that the challenges associated with autism might affect how a Deaf child communicates, while being Deaf may impact how autism is expressed or managed. The discussion emphasised that being both Deaf and autistic can greatly affect communication, language development, learning, and mental well-being. 

Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act and Enduring Power of Attorney Information meeting  

Fine Gael and Local Area Representative Gayle Ralph contacted the Information Officer a few weeks ago, seeking assistance in arranging an information meeting for the Deaf Community on the topic of the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act and Enduring Power of Attorney, to be presented by legal expert Áine Hynes, Senior Counsel and Chair of the Law Society’s Mental Health Law Capacity Task Force. The Information Officer was worked with them both to arrange, and Cabragh Hall was booked for Tuesday, 19th March at 2 pm. The Information Officer shared information about the meeting with the Deaf community, Deaf Day Centre members, and members of the Men's Shed. There was a lot of interest from these groups in attending. 

However, on the morning of the workshop Gayle Ralph informed Information Officer that ISL interpreters were unavailable for the meeting and that they were still trying to find one. Ms. Ralph had also invited hearing residents from Cabra to join the meeting. Despite the interpreter issue, the meeting went ahead for the hearing attendees, leaving the Deaf community disappointed. 

The Information Officer suggested arranging another date and time for the meeting, ensuring that interpreters are properly booked before announcing the next meeting to avoid disappointment. 

Irish Rail 

The advocacy project officer attended their first Disability User Group meeting which was scheduled March 21st via zoom. Discussions were focused on the group's aims and how each member can give input to promoting accessibility and inclusivity for people with disabilities. 

Deafblind Community meeting 

The Advocacy Project officer recently attended a Deafblind Community meeting where the focus was on organising a conference. There were mixed feelings about the conference's purpose and target audience. Some attendees wanted it to be a platform for Deafblind people to meet up, while others suggested inviting policy makers and decision makers to the event. 

Focus Group on Employment Support Schemes – Department of Social Protection 

The Information Officer attended a meeting held by the ISPOS on behalf of the Department of Social Protection at the Hilton Hotel Charlemont Place, along with other people with disabilities. The Department of Social Protection is developing a new programme to provide advice and financial assistance to people with disabilities or health issues affecting their ability to work. 

The meeting's purpose was to discuss the lists of the seven employment support schemes that the Department of Social Protection wants to rename, seeking advice in suggesting a name to include all of them. The IPOS presented 10 proposed names to choose from. The preferred name was 'Making Your Workplace Accessible' as it highlights the need for workplace adaptations rather than focusing on people with disabilities as the problem. It will be announced with the name at the end of March.  

DCPN Mental Health Reform Webinar  

The Advocacy Manager and Administrator attended the webinar. The webinar was for people with lived experience of mental health difficulties, family, friends, carers, and supporters and focused on building capacity in advocating for change and looked at the upcoming elections and how we can campaign for our rights when meeting with potential candidates. This is part of MHR's work under the Disability Participation and Consultation Network (DPCN). 

RISLI Update Meeting: 

The Advocacy Manager attended a meeting with representatives from various organizations. They discussed plans to create an accreditation system, verify interpreters, and provide ongoing training for interpreters. 

Suggestions included having meetings every few months to get feedback from the Deaf community, improving the process. They also plan to define verification criteria and decide what will be included in the accreditation system. For example, in the context of interpreters, accreditation may involve verifying their skills, training, and experience to make sure all up to date.

Additionally, they suggested implementing a recognition program every few years to maintain interpreter quality standards. 

Published: 18th April 2024

Mental Health Working Group- Position paper 

The Mental Health Working Group is revising its position paper following the Advocacy Manager's return from a conference in Holland. We've postponed action to arrange another meeting soon, incorporating feedback from the group and insights from the Manager's trip. The Advocacy Manager and Administrator are preparing changes to the paper, which will be reviewed and discussed with the group upon completion.

Deaf Awareness Training 

Advocacy Manager provided Deaf Awareness training to new IDS staff, and the RISLI manager joined. It was an interesting workshop and the 3 attendees found it helpful. We are busy continuing to book workshops for the coming months. 

Information Office

The Information Office is getting busier. Many people are visiting the new office and are pleased to see the Irish Deaf Society (IDS) back in the Atrium. People are seeking various information, such as social welfare, revenue details, and Citizen Information. The Officer is sharing information through TV, IDS social media, and e-info newsletters, covering topics like office hours, applying for Interpreter vouchers online, family and care referendums, as well as distributing posters from other organisations.

Reach Deaf Services Funding Application

We have submitted a funding application to Reach Deaf Services for a new project titled 'Deaf Awareness Training and Resource Development,' with involvement from the FET team.

If successful, this funding will enable us to create resources for Deaf Awareness training, train additional presenters, and establish an online platform for ongoing training.

The project comprises three main components:

1. Training for presenters: Currently, there is a shortage of presenters for Deaf Awareness training nationwide. Our goal is to train Deaf presenters from all over Ireland. We currently have 8 presenters and aim to recruit 10 more.
2. Development of resources: We aim to develop an online Deaf Awareness Training platform and an English to Irish Sign Language (ISL) Dictionary. These resources will help hearing individuals understand Deaf Awareness, support literacy, and empower the Deaf community. Funding will cover equipment, administrative costs, ISL presenters, monitors, and interpreters.
3. Free Deaf Awareness Workshops: We frequently receive inquiries from individuals interested in learning ISL, as well as from parents of Deaf children and other family members. These workshops provide an opportunity for them to attend and learn about Deaf Awareness.

Breaking Barriers workshop for Deaf people in Ashling Hotel  

The Information Officer attended the workshop. Researcher Dr Noel O’Connell hosted a workshop for Deaf people to discuss the new report Breaking Barriers Conference- Employment for Deaf People.  

In the workshop, he explained why Deaf people sometimes a difficult time have finding jobs or often face problems at work. He also discussed what could be done to fix these issues. The workshop included discussions and questions. The workshop was arranged to help Deaf people understand the report before it is officially launched at a conference on 10th April 2024. 

ISL Act Cross Community Group Meeting  

Ten out of thirteen organisations attended the meeting and discussed many issues on the agenda, such as international affairs, national advocacy updates, and key public consultations/government submissions. The hot topic of discussion was the suspension of funding for interpreter vouchers by the CIB  

 RISLI Meeting  

The Advocacy Manager had a meeting with RISLI Interim Manager Caroline Walker-Strong to discuss the challenges faced by Deaf individuals daily. The focus was on how we can work to improve or address these issues, and ideas were shared on increasing the number of interpreters in the future. 

HFS Student Work Experience  

A student from Holy Family School, aged 18, who will be doing her Leaving Cert Applied this summer, had a great time during her work experience at IDS. It was her first time in an office setting, so she really enjoyed working in the Information Office and meeting lots of Deaf people. She mentioned she felt honoured when the Information Officer introduced her to everyone. She had never felt so important or included before. She enjoyed most of her work experience in the Information Office. Also, she contributed to the creation of Deaf Awareness Training material that will be suitable for children, and her experience as a young person was a great contribution to the presentation. While working on media projects, she gained valuable understanding of translating from English to ISL. She was good at preparing for FET classes and workshops. She was confident and not afraid to ask questions. 

ENSPIRED (Enchanting Social Participation across Ireland for people with communication Disabilities and differences) 

UCC and Ulster University led the North-South Research Programme project (Strand 1). The research team leaders included TCD, NUI Galway, Ulster University, and the University of Limerick. They partnered with the Irish Heart Foundation, Stroke Association NI, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Alzheimer’s Society UK, Galway Travellers Movement, and the Irish Deaf Society. People with communication disability are at risk of being excluded from society, affecting relationships, and providing fewer opportunities to work, socialise, and participate in everyday activities. The project aims to tackle that. The Advocacy Manager attended the third steering committee group meeting where we discussed the project on communication access.  Also, ENSPIRED organised three PPI Focus Groups to invite Deaf grassroots individuals to share their vivid experiences with communication access.

Chime MDT Webinar Series

Chime’s new Deaf specialist Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) is open to referrals for children and young people up to 25 years old since last summer. Chime invited IDS to collaborate with them as part of a Webinar Series. They have committed to the HSE to host a webinar series for health and social care professionals working in Primary Care services and Children’s Disability Network Teams nationwide. The aim of the webinar series is to provide opportunities for clinicians to learn about various topics relevant to working with Deaf children and young people. The audience includes Speech and Language Therapists, Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Social Workers, Public Health Nurses, and Managers. The Advocacy Manager presented "Irish Sign Language and Deaf Culture" as part of the Chime webinar. The presentation lasted 45 minutes, including a question-and-answer session. Over 150 people registered for the webinar, and the questions received were very positive. There was a strong belief among participants that ISL should be available from a young age and integrated into the school curriculum.

DCU Students on Tour  

Assistant Professor Senan Dunne from DCU School of Inclusive and Special Education brought two teaching students who are currently undertaking a week-long block course on Deaf learners as part of their Graduate Diploma in Inclusion and Special Education. During their visit to IDS and other organisations based in DVI, the Information Officer introduced them to the IDS staff. 

News from Fundraising Department

Thank you to our volunteers Mark Doyle and Ray Whyte for collecting donations on behalf of The Irish Deaf Society in Newbridge. If you'd like to donate, you can do so here.  

Your donation helps us continue representing the Deaf community's interests and welfare.  

For more information on how you can help, contact Jennifer at jennifer@irishdeafsociety.ie or text 0874395455. 

IDS Charity Shops are seeking donations. 

Your donations make a big difference! Whether it’s clothing, household items, or anything else in good condition, your contributions directly support our IDS charity shops. 

We have locations in Ashbourne and Drogheda. You can drop off donations at the IDS office. For more information, visit our donation page on the website. 

Development and Engagement of National Council Members 

In the initial planning phase, the CEO, Advocacy Manager, and Advocacy Project Officer refined the NCM strategy for 2024. They focused on governance, policy updates, and compliance. They also explored ways to improve communication, like translating information into Irish Sign Language and creating a dedicated website portal. Discussions included training, collaboration, and budget considerations, showing positive progress in NCM planning. 

Mental Health Working Group 

The Advocacy Manager will have a meeting with Hubert Klein, an independent Deaf advisor from the UK, regarding mental health projects. The purpose is to seek advice on specific issues outlined in the position paper, such as evidence, policies, and recommendations. The insights gained from this meeting will be used for advocacy purposes, presentations to policymakers, and will be shared in our Mental Health Working Group meeting. 

Deaf Awareness Training 

We've been busy! After our January session, we're now setting up more Deaf Awareness Training workshops with different hearing  organisations in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for updates! 

Social Media 

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as E-Info and our website, are continuously updated with information for both the Deaf community and the wider hearing society. We are still working on the website to include features such as community news and more. 

Dr. Noel O’Connell will be hosting the Breaking the Barriers conference at the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) on Green St. The conference aims to launch a policy paper based on research findings regarding the negative experiences of Deaf individuals in the workplace and job search process. For more information and to book tickets, please visit Eventbrite. The conference is scheduled for Wednesday, April 10th, from 2 pm to 5:30 pm.  

NDA/DCEDIY National Disability Strategy online consultations 

After Ireland ratified the UNCRPD, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth (DCEDIY) began work on the National Disability Strategy. 

The National Disability Authority (NDA) has been gathering input from people with disabilities to address their challenges and promote inclusion in society. Online focus groups were conducted in November 2023, covering topics such as transportation, employment, and education. These discussions brought to light issues including accessibility, societal attitudes, and the necessity for improved support tools. The IDS set up separate groups for Deaf people and shared relevant information. 

Meeting with ComReg (they oversee TV, radio, and postal services.) 

Coimisiún na Meán (CNM) is taking over from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. 

CNM pays close attention to subtitle quality. Next year, they will check if everyone is following Access Rules. CNM wants to ensure that content funded by the Sound & Vision scheme is easy for everyone to access. 

IDS hopes CNM will do a better job than the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. 

DPO Network  

The Irish Deaf Society is part of the DPO Network, a group of five national organisations in Ireland working together to ensure the full implementation of disability rights. We rely on the experiences and expertise of disabled people to address issues across society. The DPO Network campaign for human rights because disabled people face exclusion, inequality, and discrimination not because of their disability, but because of economic, cultural, social, and political barriers in society.  

Visit www.dponetwork.ie to learn more. 

• As I Am – an organization that advocates for people with autism in Ireland 
• Disabled Women Ireland (DWI) 
• Independent Living Movement Ireland (ILMI) 
• Irish Deaf Society (IDS) 
• National Platform of Self Advocates 

Google ADC Meeting  

We recently attended a meeting at Google's Accessibility Discovery Centre (ADC). They showed us how they're making technology more accessible, including for people with disabilities. We talked about features like subtitles and live transcripts for the Deaf community, stressing the importance of Irish Sign Language. Google is committed to making technology inclusive for everyone. They'll be launching the ADC soon and will share more details later. 

HSE 

The HSE Accessible Information Meeting focused on creating accessible resources for General Practitioners (GPs) to share with people with disabilities. They completed the voiceover/read-through of a leaflet with a videographer and plan to film the video with a Deaf ISL interpreter on a plain background.  

CDA Deafblind Working Group 

The Advocacy Officer participated in an online meeting on January 15th with other Deafblind groups - NCBI and Anne Sullivan Foundation. The meeting was chaired by the Cork Deaf Association. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the following: 

• Training for interpreters to work with Deafblind individuals. 
• Position paper for the development of specific work projects involving Deafblind individuals. 
• Personal Assistant/Communication Support Workers 

Fundraising: 

IDS Charity Shops are seeking donations. 

Your donations make a big difference! Whether it's clothing, household items, or anything else in good condition, your contributions directly support our IDS charity shops. 

We have locations in Ashbourne and Drogheda. You can drop off donations at the IDS office. For more information, visit our donation page on the website.