Participation &

Accountability
Deaf people in Sweden
Deafness
Deaf individuals
Hard-of-hearing individuals

Approx. 70 million people (1 % of the total
population)


(World Federation of the Deaf, 2010)
UN General Comment 14


Ensure the right of access to health
facilities, goods and services on a non-
discriminatory basis, especially for
vulnerable or marginalized groups
Universal Declaration of Human
Rights

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and
freedoms set forth in this Declaration,such
as race, colour, sex, language, religion,
political or other opinion, national or
social origin, property, birth or other
status.
Deaf people and human rights
The United Nations Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
promote, protect and ensure the full and
equal enjoyment of all human rights and
fundamental freedoms by all persons with
disabilities, and to promote respect for their
inherent dignity
Attitudinal and environmental barriers[]
prevent people with disabilities from enjoying
full human rights;
(Haualand, 2009)
Deaf people and human rights
respect for inherent dignity, individual
autonomy including the freedom to make
ones own choices

full and effective participation in society

respect for difference and acceptance of
persons with disabilities as part of human
diversity and humanity
(Haualand, 2009)


respect for the evolving capacities of
children with disabilities and respect for
the right of children with disabilities to
preserve their identities

Culture, identity and language
(Haualand, 2009)


The basic factors for protecting the
human rights of Deaf people
Recognition and use of sign language(s),
including recognition of and respect for Deaf
culture and identity
Bilingual education in sign language(s) and
the national language(s)
Accessibility to all areas of society and life,
including legislation to secure equal
citizenship for all and prevent discrimination
Sign language interpretation
(Haualand, 2009)

The basic factors for protecting the
human rights of Deaf people
The Global Education Pre-Planning
Project on the Human Rights of
Deaf People
Data collected in 93 countries:
19 countries do not recognise Deaf people as
equal citizens
49 countries do not have legal recognition of sign
language,mostly within the fields of education and
social services
61 governments do not take some responsibility in
paying the sign language interpreters salaries
75 countries do not provide sign language
interpreting at universities
(Haualand, 2009)


Language and access to health
Recognition of sign language

Bilingual education

Availability of sign language interpreting
services

Awareness and knowledge about the
situation of Deaf people
(Haualand, 2009)

Sweden


Population: 9 million
Deaf persons: 10 000
(Hein, 2008; Swedish National
Association of Deaf, 2010)


Swedish legislation
1952-ratified the Convention for the
Protection of Human Rights and
Fundamental Freedoms, 4 Nov 1950
The enjoyment of any right set forth by law
shall be secured without discrimination on
any ground such as sex, race, color, language,
religion, political or other opinion, national or
social origin, association with a national
minority, property, birth or other status.
(Hein, 2008)




Swedish legislation
1968 The Swedish Parliament decides that sign
language interpreter services are free of charge.

1969 The first organized interpreter training course
takes place (6 weeks long)

1981 The Swedish Parliament officially
acknowledges that deaf people are bilingual. This
decision indirectly recognized Swedish Sign
Language as deaf peoples first language and that
deaf people constitute a language minority.
(Hein, 2008)
Swedish legislation
The Language Act:
A person who belongs to a national minority
group is given the opportunity to learn,
develop and use the minority language.
A person who is deaf or hard of hearing or a
person who for some other reason needs to
use sign language is given the opportunity to
learn, develop and use Swedish sign
language.
(kerberg, 2011)


Swedish legislation
County councils provide:
free cochlear implants
up to 240 hours of free courses for parents of
deaf children on the subject
(Svartholm, 2010)
Disability allowance
Support for the use of a car
(kerberg, 2011)

Swedish legislation
The Administrative Procedure Act
(Frvaltningslagen)
when an authority is dealing with someone
who does not have a command of the
Swedish language or who has a severe
hearing impairment or speech impediment,
the authority should use an interpreter when
needed
(kerberg, 2011)

Sign language in Sweden
600 sign-language interpreters
99 authorized by the Legal, Financial and
Administrative Services Agency
(European forum of sign language interpreters,
2011)
Interpreter service-run by municipalities and
county councils
Calling an interpreter is the responsibility of
institutions
(Hadziabdic, 2011)


However, it has proved insufficient.
(kerberg, 2011)
The problems are not limited to hearing
persons who cannot sign, but include a
lack of interpreters, TV programs and
films without captions, and information
for the general public in Swedish which is
hard to understand.
(The Swedish National Association of the
Deaf, 2014)

Survey carried by The National Board of
Health and Welfare:
One third of the social services centers had
routines for booking sign language interpreters
Technical equipment for persons who are hard of
hearing are non-existent
Access to technical aids for the deaf and hard of
hearing and/or sign-language interpreters is
inadequate.
(kerberg, 2011)

In 2009/2010, 162 complaints concerning
absent sign-language interpreters have
been sent to The Discrimination
Ombudsman (DO)
It is not considered to be discrimination in
the eye of the law
(kerberg, 2011)

AAAQ
Availability-functioning facilities, goods, services in sufficient
quantity
7 university hospitals
70 public hospitals
6 private hospitals
1100 public and private primary care facilities
Accessibility-non-discrimination, physical accessibility,
affordability, information
Available interpreters but not in sufficient number
Problems with booking the interpreters
The county councils and municipalities are responsible for
offering services for deaf people
Free of charge
Not enough channels of information for deaf people
(Anell, 2012, UN General Comment 14, 2000)

AAAQ
Acceptability-respectful, ethical, culturally
appropriate, sensitive to gender and life-cycle
Integration of the deaf people in society
Recognition of the needs of deaf people and
offering them specials schools
Sign language as official language for deaf people
Quality-scientifically and medically
appropriate and good quality
Not enough interpreters
Not all of them have a degree in sign language
interpreting
(Anell, 2012, UN General Comment 14, 2000)


Participation

They have access to medical facilities but
because of the shortage of interpreters
and because they dont have full access to
information deaf people cannot fully
participate in all the activities of the
society
Accountability


Although the Swedish Legislation
encompasses several laws for deaf people,
only the county councils are responsible
for integrating and providing for deaf
people
Projects
European Commission-WISDOM (Wireless
Information Services for Deaf people On
the Move)
mobile 3G and WLAN technology
link between sign language users and voice
telephone users
website with information in sign-language
(Centre for Deaf Studies, 2004)
The Pocket Interpreter
Communication with the help of a language
interpreter via videophone
over 43,000 calls are made annually
(Electronic practice, 2006)

Bibliography
Hein, A. (2008). Interpreter Education in Sweden: A Uniform Approach to
Spoken and Signed Language Interpreting. Accessed on May 11, 2014 from
http://sodertornsfolkhogskola.se/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Text-av-
Anna-Hein.pdf
Hadziabdic, E. (2011). The use of interpreter in healthcare: Perspectives of
individuals, healthcare staff and families. Linnaeus University Dissertations
No 64/2011
kerberg, A. (2011). Swedish disability movements alternative report to the
UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Swedish
Disability Federation ISBN: 978-91-86151-15-7
Svartholm, K. (2010). Bilingual education for deaf children in Sweden.
International Journal of Bilingual Language and of Bilingualism 159-174
Electronic practice. (2006). Accessed May 11, 2014 from
http://www.epractice.eu/cases/pocketinterpreter
Centre for Deaf Studies. (2004). Final report WISDOM IST-2000-27512.
University of Bristol
Haualand, H., Collin, A. (2009). Deaf people and human rights. The World
Federation of the Deaf and Swedish National Association of the Deaf