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The main aim of the activity is to map the role of Deaf adults as Role Models for hearing people support and empowerment, within Greece, Bulgaria, Malta but also in other countries of Europe. In particular:
(a) the mode of communication and interaction among hearing and Deaf adults,
(b) the communicative skills on Sign Language (SL),
(c) the existing services for developing communicative competence on SL,
(d) the existing training programmes for learning SL,(e) the hearing people’s attitude towards the Deaf Community and SL and(f) the role of Deaf adults when supporting hearing adults, will be explored at national and European level.

The objectives are to develop a common knowledge and understating among the project partners, about the difficulties that hearing adults (practitioners and parents) face, their perspectives and knowledge of the Deaf community, their skills on Sign Language and the support they need, in order to obtain awareness of Deaf people’s abilities, and how Deaf adults working with them as role models can reinforce them.

We pursue to share experience and enhance good practices among the country partners on supporting hearing adults to accept and use Sign Language in their communication with the Deaf and empowering the role of Deaf adults as communication models on national and European level in order to ensure that the project’s products/outcomes are well grounded and are going to address the current specific needs of hearing and Deaf adults, so that their social and communicative interaction will make the most impact possible.

The needs assessment survey will be carried out in each country of the partnership. At the beginning of the project the survey questionnaire will be addressed to hearing and Deaf adults, Deaf adults who would like to participate in the project as Deaf role models, Deaf teachers of SL, experts within the public and private sector (schools for the deaf/hard of hearing children, institutions, Deaf associations) at national level.

At the second phase participants, hearing and Deaf adults, Deaf role models and Sign Language teachers will be interviewed. The main aim of the research is to investigate the hearing adults needs for being able to adjust to the socio-linguistic needs of deaf people and learning Sign Language, and the practices used in any type of services offered on the private and/or public sector, schools, institutions etc. in order to enhance adults capacities and communicational skills on Sign Language, as well as the Deaf adults needs to develop counseling and training skills as role models, mentors and Sign Language teachers.