Kerry Deaf Resource Centre Update 15.02.16
(Irish Deaf Society Election 2016 Manifesto)
UPCOMING GENERAL ELECTIONS IN IRELAND
The next general election in Ireland will take place on Friday, 26th of
February. Over the coming weeks, candidates will be appearing on TV, in the
media and calling house to house to get your vote.
The Irish Deaf Society (IDS) is looking for your support. They have produced
a 2016 General Election Manifesto that they would like you to give to your
local candidates. A copy of the manifesto is below.
Download: IDS-Manifesto.pdf
To see this information in sign language, go to
https://www.irishdeafsociety.
IRISH DEAF SOCIETY 2016 GENERAL ELECTION MANIFESTO
There is clear and unambiguous evidence that Deaf Irish Sign Language users
do not enjoy substantive equality with hearing people within Irish society.
Deaf ISL users are more likely to be unemployed, to experience frustration
in accessing vital services, to be denied full access to healthcare services
and to drop out of college and training courses.
PROPOSALS FOR THE INCOMING GOVERNMENT
IRISH SIGN LANGUAGE ACT
The incoming government should support the Irish Sign Language Bill. If
passed, the Irish Sign Language Act shall recognise Irish Sign Language
(ISL) as the first and preferred language of the Irish Deaf community, and
the foremost linguistic and cultural resource belonging to that community.
The Act would grant ISL users linguistic rights to access services in their
first language.
RATIFY UN CONVENTION ON RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
The incoming government should ratify and implement the UN Convention with
immediate effect. This is of considerable importance given the five clauses
within the Convention, which refer to sign languages, Irish Sign Language
being the indigenous sign language in Ireland.
TIMELY IMPLEMENTATION OF FIVE MOST URGENT PRIORITIES
On 24 November 2013, Minister of State for Justice, Law Reform and Equality,
Kathleen Lynch TD, asked representatives of the Deaf community to identify
the five most pressing policy issues of concern to Deaf ISL users. We
believe that attention to these key policy issues would benefit the Deaf
community enormously, and actions within each area could be implemented
immediately. However, to date, no government actions within these five
priority areas have been implemented. The priority areas are:
1. CONGREGATED SETTINGS FOR RESIDENTIAL HOMES
The changes in the policy militate against Deaf residents who want to stay
together for linguistic and cultural reasons
2. PROCUREMENT OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES
Irish Sign Language Awareness – awareness training for public bodies to be
provided
Website Translation – information on websites of public bodies in relation
to essential services to be translated into ISL
Relay Services – rapid overhaul and redevelopment of telephone relay service
and rollout of services nationwide
3. INTERPRETING HOURS VOUCHER ALLOCATION SYSTEM
Including Access to Work – costs of interpreting should be met by the
Exchequer, in order to reduce the costs to businesses of employing Deaf
people and improving Deaf employee retention
4. QUALITY MONITORING AND ACCREDITATION OF SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS
5. IRISH SIGN LANGUAGE ACCESS FOR DEAF CHILDREN IN SCHOOL
OUR CONTACT DETAILS:
Kerry Deaf Resource Centre.
4 Gas Tce, Tralee, Co. Kerry, IRELAND
V92 Y409
KDRC provides services to Deaf and hard of hearing people at county level
and contributes to national & international issues of equality, access and
rights.
Charity Number CHY20854
To donate, go to: https://www.gofundme.com/
Text: (+353) 87 633 4687
Tel: (+353) 66 712 0399
E-mail: [email protected]
Glide: OQC BSYB
Skype: kerrydeaf (by appointment)
FaceTime: [email protected] (by appointment)
FaceTime: (+353) 87 633 4687 (by appointment)
Website: www.kerrydeaf.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kerrydeaf