The WFD Board has great pleasure in letting you know our accomplishments during 2013:
[wptabs] [wptabtitle]WFD Board[/wptabtitle] [wptabcontent]- Signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Deaf Emergency, International Committee of Sports for the Deaf, European Union of the Deaf and the International Federation of Hard of Hearing
- Increased cooperation with other organisations such as the World Federation of the DeafBlind, other Arab deaf organisations, Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, UNICEF, World Health Organisation and the International Labour Organization
- Formed eight WFD Experts Groups – Human Rights, Accessibility & Technology, Women & Children, Mental Health, Sign Language & Deaf Studies, Bioethics, Developing Countries and Deaf Education were established at the beginning of 2013 leading by WFD Board Members, Ms Kaisa Alanne and Mr Hasan Dikyuva
- WFD Board Member Mr Dmitry Rebrov attended the IDA Board Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland
- Completed WFD Internal Rules governing internal policies and procedures.
- Stronger WFD presence at the 9th Session of the CRPD Committee with four people from both WFD and WFDYS at Geneva, Switzerland in April, which was successful.
- Presented a paper in the half-day General Discussion on Women and Girls with Disabilities (WFDYS President Jenny Nilsson paper co-authored with WFD Board Member Dr. Joseph Murray and WFD intern Ms Noppawan Thamsiriboon)
- Celebrated election of WFD President as the second Vice Chair of the International Disability Alliance
- Held WFD workshop at Reunion Island, coordinated by WFD Board Member Dr Joseph Murray and presented by WFD board members.
- Represented by WFD Board Member Dr Joseph Murray, Conference Chair, Conference on Political Participation of Deaf People: Implementation of Article 29 of the CRPD in Oslo, Norway May 2013
- Represented by WFD Board Member Mr Dmitry Rebrov at the 80th Anniversary of the Ukrainian Deaf Society, June 2013 at Kiev, Ukraine
- Represented by WFD President Colin Allen, WFD Vice President Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen and WFD Liaison Officer Peggy Prosser and WFDYS Board Member Braam Jordaan at the Civil Society Forum and Sixth Conference of State Parties at the UN, New York
- Represented by WFD President and WFD Vice President at the IDA Board Meeting in New York, USA
- Chaired the Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research Conference in the United Kingdom – by WFD Board Member Mr Hasan Dikyuva
- Represented by WFD Board Member Dr Joseph Murray at Gebardensprache Macht Stark: Empowerment durch Mehrsprachigkeit during the 100th Anniversary Conference of the Austrian Association of the Deaf in Vienna, Austria in July 2013
- Represented by WFD Board Member Dr Terry Riley at the ICSD Flame relay at the UN building in Geneva, Switzerland. Also, WFD Board Member Dr Terry Riley attended the ICSD Congress and the Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria in July
- Repesented by WFD Board Member Dr Joseph Murray who visited Chile for various issues:
- Meeting with Mr Alexeis Estibill, Director for the WFD Regional Secretariat for South America
- Meeting with WFD OM Chile on various issues, including interpreting
- Meeting with Senadis, Ministry of Social Welfare, with Disability Director M. Ximena Rivas Asenjo, Santiago, Chile
- Workshop for educators and education professionals hosted by Ministry of Education, State of Bio Bio, Concepcion, Chile
- Deaf program visit in Colegio Bio Bio, Concepcion
- Presentation on WFD, Language, Rights, and Education at La Cosmovision De La Comunidad Sorda, Seminar in Concepcion Chile
- WFD Workshop, Associacion de Sordos Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Submitted the responses and comments on The ICT Opportunity For A Disability-Inclusive Development Framework to the United Nations by WFD Expert Group on Technology and Accessibility (Dr Phil Harper)
- Represented by WFD President at the 10th Session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities with WFD Human Rights Officer, Eeva Tupi in Geneva, Switzerland
- Represented by several WFD Experts at the Google Accessibility Summit, San Francisco, USA (Dr Phil Harper, Mr Bruno Druchen and Dr. Christian Vogler)
- Celebrated International Week of the Deaf – Equality for Deaf People in September
- Succeeded on behalf of WFD at Deaf Day in Norway – fundraising by WFD Board Member Ms Hanne Berge Kvitvaer
- Influenced the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the Department of General Assembly and Conference Management providing International Sign interpreters and captions during the Civil Society Forum (CSF) and the Sixth Conference of State Parties at the United Nations in New York, also visible on the UN live webcast
- Hosted a fundraising event (WFD President and his sister Julia Allen) in Sydney,Australia
- Launched deaf education video through Human Rights Watch at the Closing Ceremony of the 2nd International Conference of the WFD
- Provided feedback on a draft of WHO Disability Action Plan 2014 – 2021
- Sent a congratulatory letter to OM Austria on the Austrian Sign Language (Österreichische Gebärdensprache, ÖGS) be a part of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
- Represented by WFD Board Members Hasan Dikyuva and Dmitry Rebrov at the 65th anniversary of the Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing of Macedonia in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
- Held successful Board meetings in St. Denis, Reunion Island and Sydney, Australia – with appreciation to host Associate Members, Reunion Island and Deaf Society of NSWC
- Celebrated honorary doctorate awarded to WFD Honorary President Dr Liisa Kauppinen by Trinity College, Dublin Ireland
- Celebrated honorary doctorate awarded to WFD Honorary President Dr Markku Jokinen by University of Jyväskylä, Finland
- Presented on Equality for Deaf People at the Deaf View III – ‘Our Changing Community’ conference in New Zealand
- Attended European Union of the Deaf Seminar and the General Assembly in Dublin, Ireland
- Presented on Equality for Deaf People at the Trinity College Dublin
- Presented on Equality for Deaf People at the Herriot-Watt University in Scotland
- Attended Seminar on the Participation of Deaf People in Political and Public Life in Norway
- Gave two presentations at the First Regional Conference of Arab Deaf Persons in Tunis, Tunisia
- Attended workshop on Equality for Deaf People in South Australia, Australia
- Visited key organisations, European Union of the Deaf, International Handicap and OM Belgium (FEVLADO and FFSB) included the meetings with the Hon. Adam Kosa and the Hon. Helga Stevens
- Attended high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on disability and development as a member of the International Disability Alliance Delegation Team in New York City, USA
- Had several meetings during the WFD Conference with representatives from Nepal, Japan, China, South Africa, Chile, New Zealand, Western Central Africa, North Korea and CBM Australia.
- Presented on Equality for Deaf People at the 1st International Deaf Muslim Forum, Doha, Qatar
- Attended workshop on Equality for Deaf People in Queensland, Australia
- Obtained funding support for 2013 from the Finnish Government
- Launched Human Rights Project in March with focus on provision of CRPD training to three countries, El Salvador, Azerbaijan and Peru (for Peru through online consultation) coordinated by Ms Eeva Tupi, WFD Human Rights Officer
- Supported training with WFD OM El Salvador, in preparation for the 10th Session, by WFD Human Rights Officer Ms Eeva Tupi
- Gave Human Rights Project video presentations for deaf education conference organised by OM Peru and EEMARS
- Made CRPD national sign language translations available on the WFD website
- Published WFD Newsletters six times this year
- Generated 14,000 Likes so far on Facebook (it is getting there – 15,000)
- Drew over 450,000 unique visitors to the WFD website
- OM Argentina – requested a letter of support for recognition of sign language by the government
- OM Austria – requested a letter of support to promote sign language in education settings
- OM Colombia – requested a letter of support for the rights of deaf people to obtain drivers’ licenses
- OM Cote d’Ivoire – requested a letter of support for sign language to be recognised by the government and to establish sign language interpreting services.
- OM Indonesia – requested a letter of support for Indonesian Sign Language interpreting on television
- OM Malta – requested a letter of support for funds for the National Foundation for Deaf Maltese
- OM Nepal – successfully obtained drivers’ licenses for deaf people with WFD support
- OM Nepal – requested a letter of support for recognition of sign language by the government
- OM Namibia – requested a letter of support for the deaf community and organisational issues
- OM Peru – requested a letter of support for sign language in education settings
- OM Poland – requested a letter of support for sign language in education settings
- First WFD Regional Secretariat for Oceania held at General Assembly, Sydney, Australia
- Successful WFD Ordinary Members’ workshop held in Sydney – thank you to the host OM, Deaf Australia
- Successful 2nd International Conference of the World Federation of the Deaf in Sydney – thanks to the wonderful host organisers and the volunteers for their hard work.
- WFD Regional Secretariat for Asia had their representatives meeting in Sydney, Australia in October 2013
- WFD Regional Secretariat for Eastern and Middle Asia had their meeting in Georgia in November 2013
As 2013 comes to a close, the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD)
reflects on past successes, with appreciation to all who worked
in partnership with us to make these happen.
In the new year to come, the WFD looks forward to working in
cooperation with valued individual and organisational members,
international partners, and supporters.
The WFD Board and staff wishes you a
most festive Holiday Season and a New Year
filled with peace and prosperity.