Austrian association advocates for more sign language support

The Austrian Association of the Deaf of Lower Austria organised workshops for school classes in St. Pölten, Austria, to educate children about the daily lives of people who are deaf.

Lukas Huber, the association’s director, explained that Austrian Sign Language is a minority language and many people lack awareness of it.

The association has been working with the province of Lower Austria to expand the list of interpreting services it funds for deaf people age 15 and over, currently capped at 2,848 euros annually. The association is also requesting better support for deaf children under 15, as their parents typically cover the costs of interpreters themselves. The province states that social welfare support generally begins at age 15, but can offer aid in urgent cases.

Around 10,000 people in Austria are deaf, but the country only has approximately 150 qualified interpreters. The association points to a need for more interpreters in settings like court hearings, where a second interpreter is often needed for longer proceedings. They also advocate for more teachers with sign language skills and improved teaching methods for deaf children, noting that deaf students require different instructional approaches than hearing students.

Manuela Lunzer, the association’s secretary general, led workshops aimed at reducing apprehension towards interacting with deaf people by sharing personal experiences.