Spread the sign - Syria

Project summary

European countries and Turkey have been very much affected by the migrant crisis. Apart from healthcare, food and housing facilities, providing opportunities to Syrian migrants for education and social inclusion is crucial for their wellbeing in the new host countries. In this respect, the project aims to support the educational needs of adult deaf Syrian migrants by adding the Syrian Sign Language to an already existing on-line educational tool “Spread the Sign” (www.spreadthesign.com). “Spread the Sign” is a free visual sign language dictionary on the web that started as a Leonardo pilot project in 2006 and today it has more than 27 countries and 310.000 sign language videos. Adding the Syrian Sign Language to the online dictionary will benefit Syrian deaf migrants, sign language teachers for adults and others interested to help this disadvantaged group such as migrant organisations working with/for migrants. It will facilitate their integration process to the host country as well as their educational opportunities by helping them to learn the local sign language. Up today there is no existing on-line dictionary and educational tool for the deaf refugees/immigrants. This project will provide them with the human right of access to their language and make it easier to learn a new one. All countries participating in the project have accepted vast numbers of Syrian migrants. So apart from translating the dictionary in Arabic language and Syrian Sign Language it is of most importance to strengthen up the sign languages of Sweden, Turkey and Germany (already existing in the dictionary) in order to cope with the theme of the Syrian migrants. In addition, Greek, Cypriot and Bulgarian sign languages will be added as these neighboring countries to Syria and Turkey are in great need to support appropriately the hearing impaired Syrian migrants. General objectives 1) To support the social inclusion and integration of the deaf/hearing impaired Syrian migrants. 2) To provide equal educational opportunities to deaf/hearing impaired Syrian migrants and people with hearing disabilities from partners countries. 3) To support adult educators in their work with hearing impaired people. 3) To raise awareness of the educational needs of these disadvantaged groups. 4) To disseminate widely the idea of the project and its results at national and European level.. Specific objectives 1) To enrich the on-line visual dictionary "Spread the Sign" with video recording of the Syrian, Greek, Cypriot and Bulgarian Sign Languages 2) To update the video recordings with the sign languages of Sweden, Germany and Turkey 3) To offer an open platform and App for sign language learning to people all over Europe. 4) To organise National Conferences to spread the project's products and results. Main beneficiaries (target group): deaf/hearing impaired Syrian migrants, people with hearing disabilities in partners countries and all over Europe, sign language teachers, sign language interpreters, special education teachers in adult education. The project activities address the need of supporting the educational needs of deaf/hearing impaired Syrian migrants in order to enhance their social inclusion and integration in their new countries and brings the experience of six transnational partners with the relevant but also complimentary experience needed to carry out the project successfully: - European Sign Language Center - Rheinisch-Westfälisches Berufskolleg - Mert Öztüre Special Education Vocational High School - United Societies of Balkans (U.S.B.) - SYNTHESIS Center for Research and Education Ltd, Cyprus - KU TU EOOD, Bulgaria