Country report 2010

Population: According to the last census organized in Romania in 2002, the population amounts to 21.680.974 people. A more accurate and up-to-date report on the population of this country will be available after the next census scheduled in 2011.

As far as the deaf community of Romania is concerned, according to ANSR (The Deaf National

Association), the number amounts to 31.000, 21.600 of which are registered with severe degree of deafness.

Size of country: 238.391 km

Sign language Interpreters

Two categories of sign language interpreters are to be distinguished:

1. Interpreters that activate within the National Association for the Deaf (ANSR) that have interpreter certificates. There are 40 interpreters with certificates registered at ANSR.

2. Interpreters that are authorized by the Ministry of Justice – authorized interpreters. At this moment there are only 3 authorized interpreters in Romania. There is no data available on how many interpreters are employed full-time or part-time.

The interpreter organization: The National Association of Sign Language

Interpreters (ANIALMG)

The association currently has 5 members. It was founded in 2008 and authorized in 2009.

Interpreter training

The National Association for Sign Language Interpreters is authorized to organize training programmes of 720 hours: 240 hours of theory and 480 hours of practice. The training programme also includes direct contact with deaf people, experience exchanges and workshops. The National Association has signed a collaboration protocol with the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, the Department for Special Psychopedagogy and with the Faculty of Medicine for holding sign language classes.

Events & goals

2009 – “The Neighbours” Project: experience exchange with Hungary, both teams having visited each

other, gaining valuable insight.

The national Sign Language was recognized as official language as of 12 July, 2002 as specified in Art. 15, Legea nr. 519 (http://ansr.org.ro/?opt=legislatie).

The profession of sign language interpreter was recognized in the Official Journal of Romania

in 2007 (Ordin nr. 1640/2007 from 01/08/2007, published in OJR/MOF nr. 662 – 27/09/2007):

http://www.ansr.org.ro/?opt=limbaj

Goals

- Obtaining authorization to organize different training programmes: initiation, specialization, perfectioning programmes

- School of interpreters

- Further developing the Association by strengthening the relationship with the public institutions and with the deaf community

- Carrying out of a national project in collaboration with the Faculty of Letters that has just been approved and which aims at designing and creating teaching aids for the schools for the deaf and at organizing training programmes for the teachers.

In Romania, there is only one National Association of Sign Language Interpreters. Its representative is Gelu Dumitru Bogdan.