The Danish Deaf Association (, DDL) is a private

advocacy group Advocacy groups, also known as interest groups, special interest groups, lobbying groups or pressure groups use various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and ultimately policy. They play an important role in the developm ...

which works to ensure better living conditions for

deaf Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an Audiology, audiological condition. In this context it ...

people in society. It campaigns for equality between deaf and hearing people in education, paid employment and

accessibility Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i. ...

, as well as the legal status and accessibility of

Danish Sign Language Danish Sign Language ( da, Dansk tegnsprog, DTS) is the sign language used in Denmark. Classification Henri Wittmann (1991) Wittmann, Henri (1991). "Classification linguistique des langues signées non vocalement." Revue québécoise de linguist ...

History

In 1866, a group of deaf craftsmen in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

who had attended the Danish Institute of Deafness founded an association called ('the

Deaf-mute Deaf-mute is a term which was used historically to identify a person who was either deaf and used sign language or both deaf and could not speak. The term continues to be used to refer to deaf people who cannot speak an oral language or have som ...

Association of 1866'). On 29 October 1898 they formally opened their own building at Brohusgade 17 in

Nørrebro Nørrebro (, ) is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is northwest of the city centre, beyond the location of the old Northern Gate (''Nørreport''), which, until dismantled in 1856, was near the current Nørreport station ...

. At the 4th Congress of the Council of the Deaf in Sønderborg on 18 May 1935, it was decided to found a nationwide association, the Danish Deaf Association. The Danish Deaf Association later helped found Døvefilm in 1963, a production company that produces TV programs for the deaf.

Danish Sign Language advocacy

The organization worked for the formal recognition of Danish Sign Language as a separate language, which was achieved in 2014. Upon its recognition, the Danish Sign Language Council was established. The Danish Deaf Association appoints a member to the council. The Danish Deaf Association has also pushed for Danish authorities to make information available in Danish Sign Language, such as information about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Memberships

The Danish Deaf Association is a member of the

World Federation of the Deaf The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) is an international non-governmental organization that acts as a peak body for national associations of Deaf people, with a focus on Deaf people who use sign language and their family and friends. WFD aims ...

, the

European Union of the Deaf The European Union of the Deaf (EUD) is a supraorganization comprising each respective National Association of the Deaf of the member states of the European Union. The EUD is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 and is a Regional Co-operating ...

since 1985, and the

Nordic Council of the Deaf The Nordic Council of the Deaf is a non-partisan and non-religious association whose mission is to work and raise awareness of the linguistic and cultural interests of the deaf in the Nordic countries. It was founded in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 19 ...

References

External links

Danish Association of the Deaf website
{{authority control Organizations based in Copenhagen Deafness organizations Deaf culture in Denmark