Country Report Czech Republic

Česká komora tlumocníků znakového jazyka (CKTZJ)

Czech Republic covers the area of 78,864 square kilometres. Population in Czech republic is 10,500,000 people, about 0,5 million are hearing-impaired, mostly old hard-of-hearing people. There are about 7,600 people with practical deafness or total deafness in Czech Republic. About 7,300 people use primary signed or sign language (1999).

The exact number of Sign Language Interpreters isn´t known. In the Register of Sign Language Interpreters, there are about 90 Sign Language Interpreters, but the number of active interpreters is lower (about 50).
The Czech Chamber of Sign Language Interpreters (founded December 20th 2000) associates Czech sign language interpreters and people who are not interpreters but who agree with Chamber's views and aims. In 2006, the Chamber expanded with 14 new members joining up. On December 31st 2006, the Chamber had 74 members consisting of 56 women and 18 men. The Chamber has 88 members and 4 honorary members in this time.

The Chamber´s training programme (Certification Education Programme – CEP) can be studied in three specializations: Sign Language Interpreter, Transliterator of Signed Czech and Visualizer of Spoken Czech. Each of them has a different length of training: Sign Language Interpreter programme takes 3,5 years, Transliterators of Signed Czech 2,5 years and Visualizers of Spoken Czech 2 years.
Participants of individual CEP seminars learn in detail about linguistic, psychological, psycho-linguistic, socio-linguistic and other aspects of the corresponding target groups. Besides addressing theoretical questions, systematic interpreting training also focuses on the immersion in practical language training. The seminars are headed by the best and most renowned hearing and deaf experts from the Czech Republic.
To complement the theoretical training a system of supervised practical interpretive training has been put in place for students, who have passed an admission interview in front of a commission. The commission that holds the interview prior to the CEP practical training consists of: a psychologist, a deaf user of interpreting services and a sign language interpreter. This expert panel ensures the quality of the interpreters who will start their practical training under CEP and will therefore, ideally, work directly with clients.
The primary aim of CEP is to enhance the quality and professional level of interpreting services provided to all the Deaf based on their legal right, and to ensure a sufficient number of desired highly qualified professionals in this field.

In 2006 the Chamber managed to carry on with several key projects initiated in previous years. Both the existing and the new projects can be divided into two groups: educational projects and cultural projects.

Educational projects:
Interpreter Through Deaf Child's Eyes 2006. This project aims to systematically allow last year students of special elementary schools for deaf and hard of hearing student to get acquainted with and master the theory and practice of interpreting at special workshops. These are the skills which they are likely to be using during the rest of their lives.
Certification Education Programme. This is a certification programme for sign language interpreters, Transliterators of signed Czech and Visualizers of spoken Czech.
Training of Tutors and Developing Teaching Materials for Sign Language Interpreters, Transliterators of Signed Czech and Visualizers of Spoken Czech. This programme is aimed at helping Sign Language Interpreters, Transliterators of Signed Czech and Visualizers of Spoken Czech.

Cultural projects:
Tracy's Tiger. Through means of shadow interpreting for the Deaf was a large-scale theatre performance project created in 2003 thanks to cooperation between the Chamber and the Theatre NABLÍZKO. The aim of the Chamber was to create a network of performances that would not only be accessible to the Deaf but that would, at the same time, respect the language and cultural differences of the Deaf community. That is why there was a variety of theatre performances put in place in cooperation with various other theatres in 2006.
Perfect Days. Performed in the Theatre Na Zábradlí.
Flowers for Algernon. Performed in the Theatre V Celetné.
Frida K. A completely new performance staged  in the Theatre Lyra Pragensis
The Garden. Another new performance staged in the Theatre Nablízko

In 2006, the Chamber arranged the 14th Annual General Meeting of EFSLI and EFSLI conference in Prague.  It took place on 14th-16th September 2006. The topic for 2006 was Innovative Practice in Team Interpreting.

The main goals the Chamber for the upcoming year is to publish the teaching materials (publications and DVDs) for the project Training of Tutors and Developing Teaching Materials for Sign Language Interpreters, Transliterators of Signed Czech and Visualizers of Spoken Czech, to continue of the Certification Education Programme and to continue the theatre performance projects – Perfect Days, The Seagull, Romeo and Juliet,  The Garden (the performance staged in Czech and the Czech sign language and since 2007 it is produced in English and the international sign system).

There exists a Statute about sign speech in Czech Republic since July 11th 1998 – people with hearing impairment or hearing loss have the right to be educated in signed language or sign language, Czech sign language is recognized as a primary communication of Deaf people, Czech sign language is valuable and natural language.

It is not known exactly, when the existence of an Ethical codex for sign language interpreters had been mentioned for the first time in Czech Republic (approximately in 1998).

Since March 2006, there is a new Statute about social services. The sign language interpreters work as social care providers along this Statute.