European Union of the Deaf
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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] Originally founded as the European Regional Secretariat of the World Federation of the Deaf (ERS),[2], delegates voted in 1988 to rename it to the European Community Regional Secretariat of the World Federation of the Deaf (ECRS)[3] and in 1994 to the current European Union of the Deaf (EUD)[4].
European Union of the Deaf
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EUD Members | 32 Full Members 1 Affiliated Member | ||||||||||||
| Leaders | |||||||||||||
• President | Sofia Isari | ||||||||||||
| 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.[5]
As of June 2026, the European Union of the Deaf has 32 full members from 31 countries and one affiliate member,[6] with headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
History
Presidents:[7]
- 2022–present: Sofia Isari (
Greece)[8] - 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:[6]
| Association | Country |
|---|---|
| Austrian Federation of the Deaf |  Austria |
| Deaf Flanders |  Belgium |
| French-speaking Federation of the Deaf Belgians | |
| Union of the Deaf in Bulgaria |  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 |  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 |  Poland |
| Portuguese Federation of Associations of the Deaf |  Portugal |
| Romanian National Association for the Deaf |  Romania |
| Slovak Association of the Deaf |  Slovakia |
| Slovenian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing |  Slovenia |
| National Confederation of Deaf People in Spain |  Spain |
| Swedish National Association of the Deaf |  Sweden |
| Swiss Federation of the Deaf |  Switzerland |
| British Deaf Association |  United Kingdom |
Affiliated Members:[6]
| Association | Country |
|---|---|
| Ukrainian Society of the Deaf |  Ukraine |
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