The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) is an international non-governmental organization that acts as a peak body for national associations of Deaf people, with a focus on deaf people who use sign language and their family and friends. WFD aims to promote the human rights of deaf people worldwide, by working closely with the United Nations (with which it has consultative status) and various UN agencies such as the International Labour Organization and the World Health Organization. WFD is also a member of the International Disability Alliance (IDA).

As of September 19, 2023, 11 board members are all deaf. The offices are located in Helsinki, Finland.

History The WFD was established in September 1951 in Rome, Italy, at the first World Deaf Congress, under the auspices of Ente Nazionale Sordomuti (ENS), the Italian Deaf Association. The first president of WFD was Professor Vittorio Ieralla, who was also, at that time, president of the ENS. The congress was attended by representatives from 25 countries.

Dr. Cesare Magarotto was one of the founders of World Federation of the Deaf and its first general secretary (1951-1987) along with Vittorio Ieralla who was elected as the president from 1951 to 1955.

Ieralla and Magarotto successfully convinced the Italian government to support their efforts to establish a WFD general secretariat in Rome, in 1951. With continued support from the Italian government and later with the ENS, the WFD general secretariat was able to establish informative and advocacy networks, with national federations of the deaf around the world. Decades later, the WFD general secretariat relocated to Finland (1987), with support from the Finnish government and the Finnish national of the deaf led by the former WFD general secretary Dr. Liisa Kauppinen (WFD president emeritius).

Status WFD has B-category status with the United Nations and is represented on the following groups':

Economic and Social Council Regional commissions Economic Commission for Africa Economic Commission for Europe Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean Economic Commission and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia Panel of Experts on the UN Standard Rules for the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization International Labour Organization World Health Organization World Bank Council of Europe

WFD provides expert advice on Deaf issues in its relationship with other international organizations and professional groups.

The legal seat of WFD is in Helsinki, Finland.

Aims and objectives At present, emphasis is placed on the following areas:

Improve the status of national sign languages, Better education for deaf people, Improve access to information and services Improve human rights for deaf people in developing countries Promote the establishment of deaf organisations where none currently exist

Constituency The WFD claims to represent 70 million deaf people worldwide, of which more than 80 percent live in developing countries. This is done mainly through membership of national deaf organisations, where such organisations exist. , 130 national associations are members. Associate members, international members and individual members also make up WFD's membership base.

List of member associations (as of June 2021): AssociationsCountryAfghanistan National Association of the DeafAlbanian National Association of the DeafFédération Nationale des Sourds d'AlgérieConfederación Argentina de SordomudosArmenian Deaf SocietyDeaf AustraliaAustrian Federation of the DeafPublic Association "Support for the Deaf"Bangladesh National Federation of the DeafBelarusian Society of the Deaf French-speaking Federation of the Deaf BelgiansDeaf FlandersAssociation Nationale des Sourds du BeninFederación Boliviana de SordosAssociation of the Deaf and Hard of HearingBotswana Association of the DeafFederação Nacional de Educação e Integração dos SurdosUnion of the Deaf in BulgariaUnion Nationale des Associations des Deficients Auditifs du BurkinaAssociation Nationale des Sourds du BurundiAssociation Nationale Des Sourds du CameroonCanadian Association of the DeafChadian National Association of the Hearing ImpairedAsociación de Sordos de ChileChina Association of the DeafFederación Nacional de Sordos de ColombiaAssociation Nationale des Sourds du CongoAssociation Nationale des Sourds et Deficients Auditifs du CongoAsociación Nacional de Sordos de Costa RicaCroatian Association of the Deaf and Hard of HearingAsociación Nacional de Sordos de CubaCyprus Deaf FederationUnion of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the Czech RepublicDanske Døves LandsforbundAsociación Nacional de Sordos de la Republica DominicanaFederación Nacional de Sordos de EcuadorAsociación Salvadoreña de SordosNational Deaf Association of EritreaEstonian Association of the Deaf (Eesti Kurtide Liit)Swaziland National Association of the DeafEthiopian National Association of the DeafFiji Association of the DeafFinnish Association of the DeafNational Federation of France for the DeafGambia Association of the Deaf and Hard of HearingUnion of the Deaf of GeorgiaGerman Federation of the DeafGhana National Association of the DeafHellenic Federation of the DeafAsociación de Sordos de GuatemalaAssociation Guinéenne des SourdsAsociación Nacional de Sordos de HondurasHong Kong Association of the DeafHungarian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Felag heyrnarlausraAll India Federation of the DeafIndonesian Association for the Welfare of the DeafIranian National Center of the DeafIrish Deaf SocietyAssociation of the Deaf in IsraelEnte Nazionale SordiAssociation Nationale des Sourds de Côte d'IvoireJapanese Federation of the DeafKazakhstan Society of the DeafKenya National Association of the DeafKuwait Club for the DeafLatvian Association of the DeafAssociation de L'Oeuvre des Sourds-Muets au LibanNational Association of the Deaf LesothoLiberia National Association of the Deaf, IncLibyan General Federation of Deaf SocietiesLithuanian Deaf Association - Lietuvos kurčiųjų draugijaMacau Deaf AssociationFederation of the Deaf in MadagascarMalawi National Association of the DeafMalaysia Federation of the DeafMali Association of the Deaf (A.MA.Sourds)Deaf People AssociationFederación Mexicana de SordosAssociation of the Deaf of Republic MoldovaMongolian Association of the DeafFédération Nationale des Sourds du MarocAssociation of the Deaf in MozambiqueNamibian National Association of the DeafNepal Deaf FederationDovenschapDeaf Aotearoa New ZealandAsociación Nacional de Sordos de NicaraguaAssociation des Sourds du NigerNigeria National Association of the DeafAssociation of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing of Macedonija Norwegian Association of the DeafPakistan Association of the DeafAsociación Nacional de Sordos de PanamáCentro de Sordos del ParaguayAsociacion de Sordos del PerúPhilippine Federation of the Deaf, IncPolski Związek GłuchychPolish Association of the DeafFederacão Portuguesa das Associacões de SurdosThe Qatari Center of Social Cultural for the Deaf Asociația Națională a Surzilor din România National Association of the Deaf in RomaniaAll-Russian Society of the DeafRwanda National Union of the DeafAssociation Nationale des Sourds du SenegalSavez Gluvih I Nagluvih Srbije I Crne GoreSierra Leone Association of the DeafSingapore Association for the DeafAsociácia Nepočujúcich SlovenskaZvesa društev gluhih in naglušnih SlovenijeSomali National Association of the DeafDeaf Federation of South AfricaKorean Association of the DeafConfederación Estatal de Personas SordasSri Lanka Central Federation of the DeafSudanese National Society for the DeafSwedish National Association of the DeafSchweizerischer Gehörlosenbund, Fédération Suisse des SourdsSyrian Federation of Societies for the Welfare of the DeafTajik Society of the DeafTanzania Association of the DeafNational Association of the Deaf in ThailandAssociation des Sourds du TogoAssociation Voix du Sourd de TunisieTurkish National Federation of the DeafUganda National Association of the DeafUkrainian Society of the Deaf (USD)British Deaf Association (BDA)National Association of the DeafAsociación de Sordos del UruguayUzbek Society of the DeafFederación Venezolana de SordosZambia National Association of the DeafZimbabwe National Association of the Deaf

World Congress The World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf has been held every four years since 1951. Organised by the WFD and the host country, this event is attended by thousands of deaf people from all over the world. As well as convening the general assembly (the highest decision-making body of the WFD) and forming the guidelines for the next four years of its work, the congress holds a large cultural program including theatre performances, cinema, exhibitions, performing arts, visits to local places of interest.

NumberYearMonth/DatesLocation Theme1 (I)195123 SeptemberRome, Italy(no theme)2 (II)195523–27 AugustZagreb, Yugoslavia(no theme)3 (III)195922–26 AugustWiesbaden, Federal Republic of Germany(no theme)4 (IV)196317–21 AugustStockholm, Sweden(no theme)5 (V)196710–17 AugustWarsaw, PolandThe Deaf Among Hearing Persons6 (VI)197131 July–5 AugustParis, FranceThe Deaf Person in the World in Evolution7 (VII)197531 July–8 AugustWashington, D.C., United States of AmericaFull Citizenship for All Deaf People8 (VIII)197920–27 JulyVarna, BulgariaThe Deaf People in Modern Society9 (IX)198328 June–6 JulyPalermo, ItalyDeafness Today & Tomorrow: Reality & Utopia10 (X)198720–28 JulyEspoo (Helsinki), FinlandOne World - One Responsibility11 (XI)19915–? JulyTokyo, JapanEquality and Self-Reliance12 (XII)19956–15 JulyVienna, AustriaTowards Human Rights13 (XIII)199925–31 JulyBrisbane, AustraliaDiversity and Unity14 (XIV)200318–26 JulyMontréal, CanadaOpportunities and Challenges in the 21st Century15 (XV)200716–22 JulyMadrid, SpainHuman Rights through Sign Languages16 (XVI)201118–24 JulyDurban, South AfricaGlobal Deaf Renaissance17 (XVII)201528 July–1 AugustIstanbul, TurkeyStrengthening Human Diversity18 (XVIII)201923–27 JulyParis, FranceSign Language Rights for All19 (XIX)202311–15 JulyJeju, South KoreaSecuring Human Rights in Times of Crises20 (XX)202719-23 SeptemberAbu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesSign Languages: Always and Everywhere

During the 14th Congress the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI) was established.History of WASLI Retrieved 7 January 2019.

Presidents

1951–1955: Vittorio Ieralla 1955–1983: Dragoljub Vukotić 1983–1995: Yerker Andersson 1995–2003: Liisa Kauppinen 2003–2011: Markku Jokinen 2011–2019: Colin Allen 2019–: Joseph Murray

See also International Day of Sign Languages International Sign List of sign languages European Union of the Deaf National Association of the Deaf (United States) National Association of the Deaf (Italy) World Association of Sign Language Interpreters

References

External links