Welcome to Deaf Young Code

We are starting a new project.

The project is about programming and coding. Digitalisation is our world. The digital world becomes more important every day. We want to work with young deaf people and young people with disabilities.

We want to prepare information on coding and programming in different languages – in plain language and sign language.

What is programming and coding?

In a nutshell, programming is the writing of software programs as code that a computer can execute. Simple coding means writing codes, and a coder is a person who codes from one language into another. This project wants to give valuable transferable skills to young deaf people, but also teach them coding and programming skills that make them more attractive to potential employers; they are more resilient and demonstrate greater self-determination and independence.

We want to develop….

  • A clickable map
  • A video toolkit
  • A blended learning training package

Why?

To enable young deaf people to acquire these skills. We want Deaf Young Code to be inclusive.

Partners

We are 8 organisations from 7 countries.
The countries are: Austria, Slovakia, Serbia, Romania, Hungary, Greece and Italy.

equalizent

Founded in 2004, equalizent focuses on four main areas: deaf people, hard of hearing people, sign language, and diversity management.

equalizent’s training and business concept are unique in Europe.

Through training and consultancy services, equalizent supports deaf or hard of hearing individuals and those with other disabilities in finding employment. One-third of the employees are deaf, meaning deaf interns are trained by their deaf peers.

equalizent organizes the annual Diversity Ball, an accessible event in Vienna, Austria. equalizent also founded HANDS UP, an interactive exhibition aimed at raising awareness of the deaf world.

More information about equalizent can be found here:
www.equalizent.wien (in German and English)

Ergon Association for the Deaf

Authentic and proven, Ergon is the Piedmont’s social organisation, founded in 2010, working to respond to the protection, health and well-being needs of people who are Deaf, hard of hearing, deafened and DeafBlind (D/Deaf) specially in low resource and complex humanitarian settings.

Ergon works to ensure that D/deaf are able to live safely and without fear of stigma, discrimination and abuse in the communication mode of choice; Sign Language, sign supported spoken language, community ethnic sign, aural method and Tactile Sign Language. Ergon’s work encompasses 4 themes: rights; livelihoods, access to appropriate technology; and wellbeing.

For more information about Ergon: 
www.ergon4deaf.org

Deaf Studio

DeafStudio is a civic association, founded in December 2008 by 5 deaf youth looking to educate, inform, sensitise and raise awareness about the culture and needs of Deaf communities. DeafStudio aims to preserve the cultural assets of deaf and hard of hearing people, as well as offering support for the education of deaf people.

Through its projects and activities, the organisation wants to provide inspiration for the deaf community and the community as a whole. DeafStudio works in the following areas: educational and vocational activities, advisory and consultancy activities; cultural and training activities; raising awareness and sensitisation through seminars, lectures, conferences and workshops, practical meetings, sports and recreational activities; raising professional levels of citizens, parents, students, children and the public through training and workshops; and cooperating with educators and students of educational institutions.

For more information about DeafStudio: 
https://deafstudio.net/ (in Slovak)

Sign Coders

SignCoders is a Social Enterprise founded with the goal of enabling a successful career for highly qualified deaf professionals in the digital economy. We have two main areas of activity. As a regular market player, we are a digital agency taking on client assignments, such as designing and developing websites and mobile apps for them. We see competing with other service providers as a key element of deaf empowerment.

An equally important area is one that incorporates classic NGO-like activities related to our mission. These include soft-skill and vocational trainings for the local deaf and hard-of-hearing communities, awareness workshops for hearing people and popularising Sign Language. In particular, tech training is at the heart of our strategy. We keep building partnerships to fill the digital education gap. We reframe hearing disability as a communication challenge. This approach helps to level the field enormously.

We have successfully built an inclusive and barrier-free work environment. Hearing, hard-of-hearing and deaf colleagues work together at SignCoders.

For more information about SignCoders: 
https://signcoders.hu (in Hungarian and English)

Skola sa domom za ucenike ostecenog sluha i govora "11.maj" Jagodina

Our school is one of the oldest state special educational institutions in Serbia, founded in 1928. The school provides quality programs for preschoolers with disabilities. The school provides primary education programs for children with disabilities. The school provides vocational training and education for students with disabilities in the field of:
1) Agriculture, food production and processing, educational profile: Baker
2) Chemistry, non-metals and graphic designing, educational profile: Bookbinder
3) Personal services, educational profile:  Female hairdresser
In the school year 2022/2023, the school get the status of a Resource center. The school provides accommodation and meals for students in our dormitory.
Contact email: skolazagluve035@mts.rs 
Our web page: https://www.11maj.edu.rs

Gkintikas Bros

The Centre of Greek Sign Language was founded in 2001 in Thessaloniki, Greece, and is one of the earliest Sign Language schools in the country. Most of its employees are Deaf and use Sign Language as their native language.

The organisation specializes in teaching Sign Language to both hearing children and adults, producing accessible media content, and organizing events and campaigns to promote equal rights for the Deaf and universal access to Sign Language for all Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals.

Its team consists of Sign Language trainers, Sign Language Interpretation trainers, interpreters, video editors, visual designers, IT specialists, and subtitlers. Members of its team are also active participants in national and European organizations advocating for equal rights for the Deaf.

For more information (in Greek and English):
https://www.keng.gr/

DLearn

The European Digital Learning Network – DLEARN – aims to embrace the challenges brought by the digital revolution in terms of digital skills mismatch, toward an inclusive digital society. The aims of the organisation are characterised by 4 key-words: SHARE, CONNECT, MULTIPLY, ENHANCE.

DLEARN is a collector of practices and ideas, gathering diverse organisations in Europe to reflect, think and trigger new initiatives, toward the valorisation and the enhancement of digital learning.

For more information about DLEARN and the DLEARN network: 
www.dlearn.eu

Liceul
Tehnologic
Vasile
Pavelcu

o școală europeană

"Vasile Pavelcu” Special Technological High School, Iaşi, Romania

“Vasile Pavelcu” Special Technological High School provides educational services, recuperative therapeutics and professional training from kindergarten level up to the 12th grade technological special education for 302 children and youth.

Most of the pupils are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as some with learning disabilities and young people with multiple disabilities.

Contact email: vpavelcu1@yahoo.com 
Our web page: https://vpavelcu.ro

Contact

You want to get in touch with us directly?
Contact us be email, private message on social media or simply fill in the form below.

We are looking forward to hearing from you. 

Services in Greece

Information Technology Application Technician

Computer Applications Technician The public vocational training school for people with disabilities offers courses. A course trains people to become computer application technicians. What is a computer application technician? A computer application technician tests new equipment. He helps people with computer problems. He works with software and applications on computers. A sign language interpreter is present during lessons. The school meets the needs of people with

  • Sensory disorders
  • Visual impairments
  • Hearing disorders
  • And other disabilities

STEMSiL project – STEM methodologies in sign languages The aim of this project is to create training materials and methodologies for STEM education. What is STEM?

  • Science
  • Technology
  • Engineering
  • Mathematics

The project aims to provide deaf people with the best possible education in IT and STEM. The Humboldt University Berlin coordinates this project. Partners come from Greece, France, Portugal, Italy and Spain. The materials are translated into the sign language of each partner. Accessibility was ensured by incorporating both written and sign language.

STEM camp for the deaf Deaf people from all over Europe gathered in France to explore the STEM camp. What is STEM camp?

  • Science
  • Technology
  • Engineering
  • Mathematics

The event included various lectures, activities and workshops. Everything was focused on STEM topics. The main mode of communication was International Signs. The camp lasted one week. It received extremely positive feedback.

Services in Slovakia

Click & Connect Deaf Action

Click & Connect; Connect – Deaf Action Click & Connect; Connect by Deaf Action offers training for deaf people. The training covers digital skills and helps to stay connected online. This includes the use of various devices, access to services and online safety. Who can participate? All deaf people who use BSL or English. Trainers conduct the lessons in the participants’ preferred language. The courses are free of charge and last between 6 and 8 weeks. If needed, Deaf Action can borrow iPads or laptops. What will you learn?

  • Basic use of the device
  • Word processing, spreadsheets, slideshows
  • Email
  • Social media
  • Internet security and online banking
  • Government services
  • Video calls

o FaceTime, WhatsApp, Zoom, Skype

  • Operating systems

o Apple, Windows, Android

  • Digital skills for work

o Microsoft Office, Teams, Outlook How can you join? By filling in the contact form on the Deaf Action website.

Robotics4deaf – DeafStudio 
Robotics4deaf is a project of DeafStudio.
It is a training package that supports skills in coding and robotics.
What is robotics?
It means designing, building, operating and applying robots.
It is integrated into all STEM fields.
What are the STEM fields?
 Science
 Technology
 Engineering
 Mathematics
The development of this training package guarantees the participation and inclusion of
deaf and hard-of-hearing people in the digitised labour market.
It also increases accessibility, equity, education and training.

FiNep: Figma for deaf beginners 
The course FiNep: Figma for deaf beginners is a project of Cruz.
It is designed specifically for deaf participants.
It focuses on the basics of working with Figma.
What is Figma?
Figma is a graphics software.
The course will teach you the basic principles of working with Figma:
Creating design proposals for desktop websites
Creating design proposals for mobile applications
Create professional designs and prototypes
Use all the tools offered by Figma

Services in Romania

Educating to Have a Voice

Educating to have a voice
Educating to Have a Voice is a project.
Its aim is to develop digital skills through interaction with basic
basic programming and digital games.
Educare ad avere una voce uses the programme Scratch.
What is Scratch?
Scratch is a programming language.
The MIT Media Lab developed it and released it in 2007.
The target group consisted of students from Liceul Tehnologic Special Vasile Pavelcu Iasi.
The trainers were young employees of local ICT companies.
They worked as volunteers. 
What skills did the students acquire?
● Writing computer programmes
● Responsibility
● Inclusion in the community and society
● Communication
● Creativity and curiosity
● Critical and systemic thinking to understand the connection between systems
● Information and media

Coding club for deaf students
The Liceul Tehnologic Beethoven (Craiova) started the project Coding Club for students
deaf students.
The aim of this project is to inspire deaf children and young people to learn coding.
The project used the programme Scratch.
What is Scratch?
Scratch is a programming language.
The MIT Media Lab developed it and it was released in 2007.
There were self-study materials.
The materials contained basic elements of coding:
● What is coding?
o What is a computer program?
o Thinking like a computer
o How to become a programmer?
● Getting started with Scratch
o What is Scratch?
o How to install Scratch? 
o Explanation of coloured blocks, simple loops, complex loops, variables
The trainers were young employees of local ICT companies.
A deaf person was also included as an expert in Romanian Sign Language.

Career orientation for young deaf people
10 students from the Liceul Tehnologic  Special ‘Vasile Pavelcu’ in Iasi visited several companies.
These companies hire deaf students.
Representatives from important companies such as Microsoft, Google and London Stock were present.
The students and representatives participated in discussion sessions.
The discussions were interpreted in the Romanian Sign Language.
The aim of the project is to inform deaf students about career possibilities in the ICT area.
The students showed the greatest interest in game production.

Services in Hungary

Digital Access

Workshop for software testers – Digital Access Digital Access organises an annual software testing workshop. Software is an instruction. The instruction tells the computer what to do. The workshop is aimed at disadvantaged groups. The workshop has been very successful. That is why the organisers have developed a higher level of training. You can do this if you have completed the basic training. The contents of the workshop are:

  • Manual and digital tests
  • Working methods
  • Reporting errors

The workshops are accessible to deaf people. There are sign language interpreters and written interpreters. In addition, training is offered in written language. This is good for neuro-divergent people, such as people with autism.

CV writing workshop – using FIGMA graphics software SignCoders and Skilly organised a workshop for disadvantaged groups. The workshop was about writing a CV. Participants learnt how to use FIGMA. What is FIGMA? FIGMA is a graphics software. What do you learn in this workshop?

  • Introduction to keyboard shortcuts
  • Creating elements/formats
  • Editing colours
  • Saving data
  • What are the different file formats

For example: png., svg., jpg., pdf. The workshop is accessible to deaf people. Sign language interpreters and written interpreters are present during the workshop. The training takes place in a training room (not online). This way, everyone receives face-to-face training and can ask questions.

Digital Wellbeing (Digital Inclusion)
Digital Wellbeing is a joint project of Hekate and SignCoders.
The project is part of the Digital Inclusion framework.
Digital Inclusion means that everyone is part of the digital world.
The material is not specifically intended for deaf people.
It is aimed at everyone who uses the Internet in their daily lives.
Participants learn:
 The dangers of the Internet 
For example: financial fraud, phishing, fake news, and fake profiles.
Phishing means that someone sends fake e-mails or messages.
 Digital inclusion
 Using the Internet correctly and safely
Courses are accessible to deaf people.
There are sign language interpreters and written interpreters.
Courses are in-person and online.

Services in Serbia

Computer Course for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals

Computer course for deaf and hard of hearing people The City Organisation of the Deaf in Belgrade organises computer courses for deaf and hard-of-hearing people. hearing impaired. The courses are organised to increase computer knowledge. The use of computers is not considered a special skill but helps with basic literacy. With the rapid development of technology, programmes are easier to use. That is why platforms multiply and innovate every day. This course is intended for deaf and hard-of-hearing people. The course is conducted in Sign Language and written language.

Training for deaf and hard-of-hearing people 
Since 2008, the IAN International Aid Network has been offering training for deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
They want to support the successful inclusion of deaf people in the labour market.
They want to increase their chances of better employment.
IAN cooperated with the Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing of Serbia and the Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing of Belgrade.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and Microsoft supported the programmes.
In 2010, the IAN supported people with disabilities through various educational activities.
The programme included free computer courses, ECDL courses and social skills courses.
14 people obtained the ECDL Full certificate.
Participants who completed the basic computer courses were able to take graphic design courses and work with Photoshop.
10 participants completed this course.

Educational Workshop for the Organisation of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 
The ‘My Genius’ association and the Basic Organisation of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Kruševac have
organised an educational workshop.
The workshop is about e-commerce, Internet security and Internet services.
My Genius believes that knowledge and experience contribute to the development of the local community
and society.
All members of the Basic Organisation of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing participated in the workshop.
Through the educational workshop, My Genius hopes that more deaf people will be
interested in participating in computer courses and training.

Services in Italy

Adobe Premiere Pro Online

Adobe Premiere Pro online The Istituto dei Sordi di Torino ONLUS offers two Adobe Premiere Pro courses. The basic course lasts 40 hours. It covers the basics of the software. A software is an instruction. Instructions tell the computer what to do. The advanced course lasts 120 hours. It serves to develop skills at a more advanced level. Both courses include:

  • Theoretical lectures
  • Observations
  • Practical activities

At the end of the course, students must take an examination. If they pass it, they receive a certificate.

Mdesigner S.r.l. offers an ICDL course.
ICDL stands for International Computer Driving Licence.
It means that a person has competence in the use of computers.
This course is taught by a computer teacher and an interpreter
professional sign language interpreter.
The teacher is an expert in the topics covered.
Participants can obtain intermediate certificates for each exam passed.
All examinations contribute to obtaining the ICDL Full Standard certificate.
Participants can also obtain a certificate for each module.
Modules do not have to be taken in order.
The ICDL Full Standard LIS course lasts 60 hours.
The course comprises:

  • Classroom lessons with a teacher
  • A professional sign language interpreter
  • Teaching materials
  • Access to an e-learning platform
  • A computer at each student’s disposal
  • ICDL Essentials certification
  • The basic ECDL certification
  • The ECDL Specialised certification
  • The ICDL Full Standard certification

Deaf Campus 
The Deaf Campus is a project.
The project lasts 15 months.
Deaf Campus offers courses.
It also supports deaf people.
The courses cover basic digital skills, language skills and soft skills.
What are soft skills?
Soft skills are character traits and interpersonal skills.
They are not job-specific.
For example: teamwork, problem-solving, communication, time management, etc.
Deaf Campus wants to bridge the soft skills gap for deaf people.
The courses are online and fully accessible.
There are sign language interpreters and deaf mediators.
A mediator is a person who helps people resolve a dispute.
There are also video recordings for flexible learning.
The texts and video guides are designed specifically for deaf people.

Diversamente Coding is an e-learning platform. You can register at www.diversamente-academy.eu. The contents are:

  • Tutorials
  • Videos
  • Documents
  • Links
  • Articles
  • Useful tips

The materials are available in English. They are also in Italian, German, Greek and Spanish. Diversamente coding uses Scratch to introduce coding. What is Scratch? Scratch is a programming language. The MIT Media Lab developed it and it was released in 2007. Scratch is a great tool. You can develop various multimedia projects with Scratch. For example:

  • Video games
  • Interactive storytelling
  • Animations
  • Graphic works

Scratch is great for deaf students. It uses visual tools to represent commands. Students simply have to fit the blocks together to create effects. Scratch is a fun way to introduce basic coding. At the same time, it exploits the visual strengths of deaf students.

Services in Austria

equalizent

Courses on equalizent equalizent offer courses. equalizent also offers online courses. Equalizent offers workshops. All courses are bilingual. Bilingual means in Austrian Sign Language and written language. equalizent offers courses on various topics. A lot can be learned in the courses. The trainers adapt the course to the needs of the participants. For example:

  • How to use a smartphone
  • ECDL courses
  • How to edit pictures
  • How to edit videos
  • How to create a website

Courses and workshops are tailor-made for deaf people.

GESTU is a service point for deaf and hard-of-hearing university students. If you want to study programming or any computer-related subject, you can go there. GESTU offers many things. It offers support to students. GESTU offers counselling before students start studying. They offer counselling during the semester. GESTU offers counselling and awareness-raising to teachers about the needs of deaf students. They now know how to organise a lesson or lecture if there are students who are deaf or hard of hearing. GESTU organises sign language interpreters and written interpreters. It also organises technical aids. For example, speech-to-text technologies. On the GESTU website, there is also a lexicon for technical terms and related signs. Technical terms are difficult words related to a specific topic.

‘Digital Barrierefreiheit’ – iMoox As part of ‘Education for All’, iMoox offers free and licensed courses on various topics. You can learn regardless of time and place. Their aim is to make content available to everyone. One specific course is about digital accessibility. What is digital accessibility? Digital accessibility means that digital content can be used by everyone. For example:

  • Content must be audible and visible
  • Contents must be usable not only with a mouse
  • Content must be understandable

There are videos on YouTube. The videos are in the Austrian Sign Language and with subtitles. The course contains 6 units. There are 1-4 videos per unit. At the end of the lesson, there is a quiz. After completing this course, you know what digital accessibility is. You know how to achieve digital accessibility. It is important to make content accessible to everyone.

“GetIt” – Sign Teach Sign Teach is a project. FH JOANNEUM is responsible for this project. SignTeach presents products. These products can facilitate the learning of deaf people. The SignTeach courses offer a variety of topics. All courses are aimed at the acquisition of digital skills. For example:

  • ECDL
  • Media
  • Design
  • Social media

The courses consist of videos in sign language. There are also screen recordings with sign language interpreters. You can see directly how to do things. There is also a glossary with important terms or words. The terms are explained in sign language. The terms are linked to the courses.

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