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 Member of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), a full member of the European Disability Forum (EDF) and has a participatory status with the Council of Europe (CoE).^[1] Ten countries were present at this meeting. During the assembly of October 10, 1994, the delegates of the deaf associations in Europe voted for a change of name: ECRS was thus replaced by the European Union of the Deaf (EUD).

European Union of the Deaf Belarusian: Еўрапейская федэрацыя глухіх Spanish: Union Europea de Sordos French: Union européenne des sourds Italian: Unione Europea dei Sordi Portuguese: União Europeia de Surdos Russian: Европейская федерация глухих
EUD Members	31 Full Members  Austria  Belgium  Bulgaria  Croatia  Cyprus  Czech Republic  Denmark  Estonia  Finland  France  Germany  Greece  Hungary  Iceland  Ireland  Italy  Latvia  Lithuania  Luxembourg  Malta  Netherlands  Norway  Poland  Portugal  Romania  Slovakia  Slovenia  Spain  Sweden  Switzerland  United Kingdom 3 Affiliated Members  Macedonia  Israel  Serbia
Leaders
• President	Sofia Isari
• Executive Director	Frankie Picron
Establishment
• Founded	1985
Website eud.eu

EUD's goals include equality for Deaf people in employment, education, and public as well as private life, and the right to use indigenous sign language.^[2]

Currently, the European Union of the Deaf has thirty full members and six affiliate members, with headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

History

Presidents:^[3]

• 2022–present: Sofia Isari ( Greece)^[4]
• 2013–2022: Markku Jokinen ( Finland)
• 2007–2013: Berglind Stefánsdóttir ( Iceland)
• 2005–2007: Helga Stevens ( Belgium)
• 1990–2005: Knud Søndergaard ( Denmark)
• 1989–1989: Jeff Labes ( France)
• 1985–1989: Jock Young ( United Kingdom)

Members

Full members:^[5]

Association	Country
Austrian Federation of the Deaf	Austria
Deaf Flanders	Belgium
French-speaking Federation of the Deaf Belgians [fr]
Union of the Deaf in Bulgaria [bg]	Bulgaria
Croatian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing	Croatia
Cyprus Deaf Federation	Cyprus
Czech Republic Union of Deaf and Hard of Hearing	Czech Republic
Danish Deaf Association	Denmark
Estonian Association of the Deaf	Estonia
Finnish Association of the Deaf [fi]	Finland
National Federation of France for the Deaf	France
German Federation of the Deaf	Germany
Hellenic Federation of the Deaf	Greece
Hungarian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing	Hungary
Icelandic Association of the Deaf	Iceland
Irish Deaf Society	Ireland
Italian National Agency for the protection and assistance of the Deaf	Italy
Latvian Association of the Deaf	Latvia
Lithuanian Deaf Association	Lithuania
Luxembourgian Association of the Deaf and hard of hearing	Luxembourg
Maltese Deaf People's Association	Malta
Deaf Association of the Netherlands	Netherlands
Norwegian Association of the Deaf	Norway
Board of the Polish Association of the Deaf [pl]	Poland
Portuguese Federation of Associations of the Deaf [pt]	Portugal
Romanian National Association for the Deaf [ro]	Romania
Slovak Association of the Deaf	Slovakia
Slovenian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing	Slovenia
National Confederation of Deaf People in Spain [es]	Spain
Swedish National Association of the Deaf [sv]	Sweden
Swiss Federation of the Deaf [de; fr; it]	Switzerland
British Deaf Association	United Kingdom

See also

• International Federation of Hard of Hearing Young People
• Languages of the European Union
• World Federation of the Deaf