Deaf and Hard of Hearing Association Berlin

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Association Berlin
Name	Deaf and Hard of Hearing Association Berlin
Founded	19XX
Location	Berlin, Germany
Services	Advocacy, interpreting, education, social services

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Association Berlin is a regional non-profit organization based in Berlin that serves people who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing, linking local communities with national and international institutions. The association engages with entities such as Berlin Senate, Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Germany), European Union, United Nations and Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände to coordinate services, influence policy, and host cultural programs.

History

The association was founded amid post-war social reorganizations that involved actors like Konrad Adenauer, Willy Brandt, Helmut Kohl, Anneliese Kohlmann and Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe-era reforms, and it developed alongside institutions such as Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Beuth Hochschule für Technik Berlin. Throughout the Cold War period the organization navigated relationships with entities including German Democratic Republic, Federal Republic of Germany, Berlin Wall, Alexanderplatz and Potsdamer Platz in order to maintain services for the deaf community. In the reunification era the association interacted with organizations such as Bundesrat (Germany), Deutscher Bundestag, European Court of Human Rights, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch to consolidate rights frameworks. More recent decades saw collaboration with cultural institutions like Deutsches Theater Berlin, Komische Oper Berlin, Berliner Philharmonie, Museum Island, and Staatliche Museen zu Berlin to increase accessibility.

Mission and Activities

The association's mission aligns with principles endorsed by bodies such as European Disability Forum, World Federation of the Deaf, Council of Europe, UNESCO, and World Health Organization to promote linguistic rights, inclusion, and accessibility for sign language users. Core activities reference standards and precedents set by Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Allgemeine Erklärung der Menschenrechte, Behindertenrechtskonvention der Vereinten Nationen, Bundesteilhabegesetz, and Sozialgesetzbuch (SGB). The association frames its cultural and educational work in dialogue with groups like Deutscher Gehörlosen-Bund, Berliner Gehörlosenverein, International Federation of Hard of Hearing People, European Union of the Deaf, and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sprachheilpädagogik.

Membership and Structure

Membership encompasses individuals and organizations spanning networks such as Deutscher Schwerbehindertenbund, Caritas Deutschland, Diakonie Deutschland, Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe, ASB Deutschland and affiliates from districts including Mitte (Berlin), Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Pankow, and Neukölln. Governance mirrors models used by institutions like Körber-Stiftung, Robert Bosch Stiftung, Stiftung Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin, Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung and Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, with a board comparable in function to boards at Technische Universität Berlin and Humboldt University of Berlin. Volunteer and professional staff collaborate with agencies such as Agentur für Arbeit, Jobcenter Berlin, Berliner Tafel, Jugendamt Berlin and Landesamt für Gesundheit und Soziales Berlin.

Services and Programs

The association provides interpreting coordination similar to services at Bundeskanzleramt, Auswärtiges Amt, Deutsche Welle, ZDF, and ARD, and offers counseling modeled on programs from Sozialministerium, Volkshochschule Berlin, DRK, Hilfe für Frauen, and Malteser Hilfsdienst. Educational initiatives reference curricula and partnerships with Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family (Berlin), Institut für Deutsche Gebärdensprache, Lebenshilfe, Bildungsforum Berlin, and Werkstatt der Kulturen. Health and rehabilitation services align with providers such as Vivantes, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berliner Krankenkasse, AOK, and Barmer. Social inclusion and employment support draw on models from European Social Fund, Deutsche Rentenversicherung, IHK Berlin, Handwerkskammer Berlin, and Berliner Sparkasse.

Advocacy and Policy Work

Advocacy efforts engage legal and policy venues including Bundestag, Bundesverfassungsgericht, Landesverfassungsgericht, European Court of Justice, and United Nations Human Rights Council to advance recognition of German Sign Language and accessibility standards. The association participates in consultations influenced by legislation such as Bundesteilhabegesetz, Sozialgesetzbuch IX, Schwerbehindertenrecht, Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz and directives from European Commission. It coordinates campaigns in tandem with NGOs like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders, Pro Asyl, and Transparency International to address discrimination and promote inclusive public services.

Partnerships and Events

Partnerships include collaborations with cultural and educational partners like Berliner Festspiele, Berlinale, Transmediale, documenta, Deutsches Historisches Museum, and media outlets such as Tagesspiegel, Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung for accessible programming. The association organizes events and conferences that attract stakeholders from European Parliament, Council of Europe, OSCE, UNESCO, and networks like European Disability Forum and World Federation of the Deaf, and convenes community festivals in venues such as Tempelhofer Feld, Mauerpark, Kulturbrauerei, Gropius Bau, and Volksbühne. Ongoing project partners include research and funding institutions like DFG, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, European Research Council, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and Stiftung Mercator.

Category:Deaf organizations