The WFD is pleased to share news with you that funding for the year 2017 has been secured both for the general operations from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and a human rights project from a private donor. Hence, the WFD is able to continue employing a human rights officer whose responsibilities include both international advocacy work as well as support provided to the national deaf associations especially in giving advice and tools to advance the right to sign language and deaf culture, bilingual education and access to services.

Despite these two successful funding applications the future does not look as flourishing as it could: the human rights project which thus far in four years has impacted eight national associations of the deaf and permitted 96 deaf leaders to receive training on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), will not be funded by the same funder after the end of its fifth project year (project ends in March 2018). Funding from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland is also smaller than anticipated.

The WFD is grateful for continuous funding and support for advancing human rights of deaf people around the world. With the trend of development fund cuts, it is even more important that the WFD receives donations and other financial support from all of you to continue this important work. To donate to the WFD: https://wfdeaf.org/donate/