International project: Family support and social environment – SIGNAEUROPA IV

Leading organization: APHIC

The project is financed by Youth Programme

With the support by:

    • Sliven Municipality
    • IMPERIA Hotel
    • GRADUS
    • Evstati Dimitrov

Action Aquapark.

Duration: 6 months

Location: Sliven

Description of the project

An international project was realized by the APHIC from 24th July to 31st July 2006 in Sliven. Young hearing impaired people from Spain, Italy, Estonia, Finland and Bulgaria took part in it. The meeting was a stage of an international exchange within the SIGNAEUROPA project. It started in Burgos, Spain in 2002.The host of the meeting was APHIC in Katania, Italy, 2002. The host in 2004 was Talin, Estonia. All three meetings were held thanks to the EC support,as well as the National Agencies of “Youth” Programme for each country participated in it. The Spanish organization was awarded by Brussels for the successfully realized project in 2002.

The Management Council of APHIC took a decision on continuing this initiative, as well as to implement the activities undertaken in Estonia. On 2 February, 2006 a contract was signed between “Youth” Programme and the APHIC concerning an international youth’s exchange-“Family support and social environment”. It was implemented thanks to the EC support and “Youth” Programme. The main objective of the project was to make us familiar with the living conditions of the hearing impaired young people in different countries, as well as the role of the families, relatives and friends in their life to be discussed. The role of the organizations, working with hearing impaired people, was also a matter of discussion.

Through the project knowledge was acquired about the ways of communication at different public places (banks, theatres, hospitals etc.) in the countries involved. We gained better experience in solving different kinds of problems through comparative analyzes and exchange of information.

The realization of the project contributed to our future development as European citizens, having self-awareness of cooperation and solidarity, regardless of race, religion and disability. Our guests were friends from Spain, Italy, Estonia and Finland, who together with all Bulgarian participants took part in the discussion on a chosen topic, related to the social environment and the family support. They shared knowledge and exchanged ideas, as well as they made themselves familiar with the Bulgarian historical past and beauty.

63 hearing impaired young people aged 15-25 participated in the meeting. Participants were also leaders of the groups and sign interpreters.