Two purpose-built centres offering rehabilitation and support services for deaf and severely hearing-impaired people have been opened in the Latvian cities of Riga and Liepaja. Synergy with a project backed by the European Social Fund has boosted the potential of people with a hearing disability to become more integrated into their communities.
- 29 January 2020
The social rehabilitation centres for the deaf in Latvia are a bridge between two worlds — the world of the deaf and the world of hearing people. The mission of the centres is to contribute to the convergence of opportunities for the deaf — to make their lives less problematic.
Deafness or severe hearing impairments can place individuals at risk of economic and social exclusion. Two new rehabilitation centres are helping to tackle this challenge in Latvia.
Building and equipping these centres was the objective of the ERDF-backed project “LAD — Second Home 2”, which began in April 2009. Along with rehabilitation services aimed at the main target group, they also offer capacity-building support to staff providing this assistance. This broad range of activity was deployed by a complementary project, which was backed by the European Social Fund.
Fostering integration
According to the Latvian Association of the Deaf (LAD), which implemented both projects, about 32 000 people throughout the country are potentially at risk of social exclusion due to deafness or severely impaired hearing. The specific difficulties they face can limit their chances to participate fully in society and seize training or employment opportunities they might wish to pursue.
In Latvia, the association notes, a comprehensive service offer specifically dedicated to the socioeconomic integration of this target group had been lacking. The new centres, which opened their doors in December 2011, were designed to fill this gap.
The services they provide include sign language interpretation, notably to enable clients to attend classes organised by mainstream institutions. In addition, the centres offer sign language training and assistance with administrative problems, along with communication and self-expression courses. The centre in Liepaja also supplies assistive devices.
Specialised services and competences
Besides dispensing state-supported rehabilitation services, both facilities act as competence centres for personnel and for the development of new services for deaf or severely hearing-impaired individuals. They also implement a number of projects backed by local, regional and national authorities. Part of their activity is aimed at the hearing in a bid to raise awareness, build alliances, tackle discrimination and highlight solutions to practical problems.
Along with the establishment of the centres, the combined EU funding also enabled the association to step up its communication about the socioeconomic integration of Latvia’s deaf community in general, and about the advancement and potential of the two projects in particular.
Information was disseminated by means of publications, online communication and text messages. More than 200 video messages were produced in Latvian and Russian, both spoken and signed. Other activities flanking the creation of the centres included the production of sign language dictionaries and the provision of training in their use.
The association expects the centres to make a significant contribution to the promotion of equal opportunities for Latvia’s deaf community, enabling clients to build a better future for themselves and their families. In 2016 alone, they provided rehabilitation services to nearly 700 clients.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “LAD – Second home 2” is EUR 869 141, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 738 770 through the “Infrastructure and Services” Operational Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Infrastructure for Strengthening Human Capital”.