This is SDR

The SDR (The Swedish National Association of the Deaf; Sveriges Dövas Riksförbund, SDR) is an association that protects the interests of deaf people. The SDR is built by and led by deaf people themselves. The association is a politically and religiously uncommitted association whose purpose it is to protect the social, financial, linguistic and cultural interests of deaf People.

Founded in 1922

The first deaf club in Sweden was founded in Stockholm in 1868. The club also accepted members from other parts of the country. Gradually new clubs were founded and in 1922 the Swedish National Association of the Deaf was founded (SDR).

Members

There are about forty clubs on local as well as county level, with a total of some 4.500 members.

Senior citizens

The council of Deaf Pensioners which is affiliated to the National Association of the Deaf, protects especially the interests of the Deaf senior citizens.

Youth and recreation

The Swedish Deaf Youth Association works in close co-peration with the Association and so do associations for bridge, fishing, motoring and sports. Linked to some deaf clubs are parents associations and other clubs for special interests.

General Assembly every fourth years

The General Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the Swedish National Association of the Deaf and it convenes once every fourth years. 2009 is an Assembly year. The representatives at the General Assembly are elected representatives from the local deaf clubs. Between the meetings of the General Assembly there are annual meetings of the representative assembly and various conferences. The work of the Association is led by a Committee elected at the General Assembly. All representatives and committee members must be deaf.

TV

As of 2000 SDR Media is associated to the Swedish Broadcasting. SDR Media produces programs in sign language. Through Text-TV the Loop, the SDR gives information from the deaf area to all deaf persons in the country.

Working parties

The Association has formed working parties which should be consultative to the Committee.They work with the following areas: sign language, labor market, social services, education, visual impairments, deaf club activities, technology, and the EU and international issues.

Our own folk high school

The SDR is the governing body of the Västanvik Folk High School, the only one in the country that provides a signing environment. Besides the regular folk high school courses there is also a training program for sign language interpreters and sign language teachers at the school.

International work

The SDR works actively on an international level. The co-operation with the other Nordic countries takes place through, among others, the Nordic Council of the Deaf (NCD).The SDR is a member of European Union of the Deaf (EUD) and the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), and is represented in the different commissions of the WFD. The Association supports the struggle of deaf people in developing countries through different projects.

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