Country Report Slovenia

ZTSZJ ASSOCIATION FOR SLOVENE SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS

Association for Slovene Sign Language Interpreters (Prekmurska street 6, 1000 Ljubljana) has these public authorization on the basic of The Law of using slovene sign language:
leads the register of slovene sign language interpreters,
proposes the tariff for payment the expences for interpreter,
assures the covering of needs for interpreters all over Slovenia,
collaborates in the council for slovene sign language,
leads the evidence of services,
accepts The rules of discipline responability and solves the objections against the quality of interpreting.

For executing this public authorisation has the Association made the contract about financiating the Association with Ministery for work, family and social affairs.

THE IMPACT THE LAW OF USING SLOVENE SIGN LANGUAGE

The law of using slovene sign language is in force since november 2002. This Law aactually started to perform in praxis with the acceptance the Tariff for slovene sign language interpreters in march 2004.  In all these txo years period the interpreters were consistensious interpreting, for that they had received the payment with two years arrears. From making out first accounts until today we perceive, that some institutions still aren't aware with the definition of The law for using slovene sign language. On this place it has to be mentioned the satisfying situation on the medical fields, because from making the general agreement in 2006, there is no difficulties are perveived. We were very glad the response form University of Ljubljana, which found out, that there are rights by the law for deaf people, which has to be performed and that the costs for interpreting covers every member of university. That brings us hope, that the right by law will become alive in practis. Unfortunatelly, we ascertain that some members of university (faculties) don't performe the instructions of University of Ljubljana and they mistaken interpret the law in sence, that the deaf person with status of student or pupil, has the right for 100 hours of interpreting and for that covers the expences with vaucher. The same problem is also on several high schools.
The main task of association is directed in informing public institutions about the definition of Law, awareness of deaf peopel about their right for emphasizing the right for interpreter, manytimes we, interpreters, are also in the role of defender of deaf person by the emphasizing the right by law, in the role of informer oru counceler, and all that demand good familiarity  with law from the interpreter and also gain of other skills.

THE REGISTER OF INTERPRETERS

The association of slovene sign language interpreters leads the register of interpreters, which is public accessible. Out of the same reason we are in 2005 prepared our own web site, on which are published basic information of the association, the register of interpreters, the instruction to deaf people, how to the right to get the interpreter and to public institucions about the assurance the interpreter in different processes and other activities of the association.  In most cases are deaf people their own order (this work are some society of seaf and hard hearing people abandoned out of unknown reasons), so on the web site is open possibility to order the interpreter over the prescribed form. That assures higher avaliability of interpreters. The response from the deaf people is positive, because the number of deaf, which use this service increase.

We have to insure the covering needs for interpreters on the teritory of whole country, there is needed to fulfill determine preconditions and in sequel is the report oif dynamic of getting the certificate for future interpreters.

PERFORMING THE COURSES FOR SLOVENE SIGN LANGUAGE

Precondition for including in preparing program for getting the certificate is the knowledge of sign language. Therefore we performe starting and continuing courses of sign language. In first hal of the year we performed one staring and one continuing course, which is lead by deaf person.

THE DYNAMIC OF GETTING THE CERTIFICATE

The association for slovene sign language interpreters is written in the register of performer the processes for checking knowledge and skills, which is lead by ministery, competent for invalid care. V halfyear 2007 we had 2 terms for checking the knowledge and skills for getting the certificate, which are published on the web site www.ric.si: 08.03.2007 and 08.05.2007. In first term there were 4 kandidates, of which 1 kandidate was succesful. In second term were 3 kandidates, which all 3 succesfully passsed the examin. In register of interpreters, leaded by ministery, is until 30.06.2007 registeres 36 interpreters.

INTERPRETERS FOR SLOVENE SIGN LANGUAGE WITH CERTIFICATE:

36 interpreters

THE PREPARING PROGRAM FOR QUALIFYING TO GET THE CERTIFICATE

The association is the only one in Slovenia, which perform the preparing programm for qualifying to get the certificate. The program has been going on for 9 months at weekends. The program is selfpayable. The preparing program started in october 2006 and ended in June 2007. The programm was attended by 12 candidates. After the end of program they have the examin, and there took the examin only 8 candidates and succesfully passed 3 candidates.

PROFESSIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE WORK FOR COUNCIL FOR SLOVENE SIGN LANGUAGE

The association for slovene sign language interpreters does the professional and administrative work for council for sovene sign language. Tasks of this council are defined in 24. paragrapf of The law for using slovene sign language.

In year 2007 the council has one regular meeting. There it was acquainted and made inferences about these problems:
accepted the report of emphasizing The law of using slovene sign language for period 01. 01. 2006 until 31. 12. 2006,
accepted the report of work in council for slovene sign language,
acquainted with the problem of interpreting on the courts, where is everything to dependable of each judge,
defined to the task for caring for development of slovene sign language, but that don't mean that council will be carier of the project,
evaluated the work of the association as very succesful.

THE REGISTER OF DEAF PERSONS, WHOM THE ORDERS BY THE LAW WERE GIVEN

The law of using slovene sign language gives the center for social work leading the register of those deaf people, who got the order by the law. Because the centres for social work lead these registers only for their use, the association for slovene sign language established the central register of all given orders for all country, because we evaluate, that common number of rightful claimant is one of basic information. Out of our register is evident, that until 30.06.2007 got the order of the right for deaf person to using slvoene sign language in common 844 rightful claimant, who are divided as followed:

NUMBER OF DEAF PERSONS:

844 Deaf persons
The status of student or pupil has 56 persons.

THE REGISTER OF PERFORMED HOURS OF INTERPRETING

Out of register is evident, that the need for interpreters among deaf people increases. So, until 30.06.2007 was done 3.359 hours, payed by vaucher, which costs covers the ministery and 1007, which payer are several institutions, in common 4.366 hours.

COMPARISON WITH 2003, 2004,2005,2006 and 2007

THE OBJECTIONS IN QUALITY OF PERFORMING THE SERVICE OF INTERPRETING:

The law of using slovene sign language as public authorisation defines also the salvage the objections in acording to quality of interpreting. 23.05.2007 we received the consensus of minister woman, competent for invalid care on The rules of discipline responsability of interpreter. In Rules is defined, that this Rules is in force 15th day of publication on the web site of the association. We received one complain, objection befor this consesnsus on the quality of interpreting, we requested for juridically opinion, from which is evident, that the objection is unfounded, because it came before the valiability of the rules. We informed also the informer of the violation.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF SLOVENE SIGN LANGUAGE

Among tasks of the association, which are not defined as public authorisation, is also the development of slovene sign language, but for that the association doesn't get no money. The association prepared for 2007 special social program with this content and gave it to the Union of all unities for deaf and har of hearing people Slovenia with purpose, that this programm intervene to the Fundation for humanitar and invalid organisation for getting their means, money. In march 2007 we were from the Union invited on the meeting of development of slovene sign language, where were we acquainted, that this program will perform the Union, because they get the means, money from the Fundation and our program wasn't even intervened to the Fundation.

About sign language, the association prepared in december 2006, on the appeal of ministery, the supplement to the suggestion of Resolution of national program for language policy by the ministery of culture. The resolution of national program for language policy was accepted in State assembly at the end of June 2007 and published in official gazette. By the examination of this resolution, we gladly found out, that all our supplement was accepted and that slovene sign language is acknowledged as part of language policy.

That we active colaborate at preparing of Action plan for invalid 2007 – 2013, which among measures alleges also consistent use of slovene sign language at daily informative, scietific and other educational TV broadcasts, establishing the relay centers, which care for the intervene the informations among deaf and other people, encouraging the learning of sign language as second language and stimulating twolanguage education of deaf. Among carrier the execution this measures there is also our association.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

preparing for two meeting of the council of the association,
three meetings with teachers in preparing programmfor getting the national professional qualification about the renoval the program,
colaborating at the shooting the broadcast for Canal A and web site of the Union of the deaf about using the vauchers, duty service of interpreting and ordering the rescue vehcle, participation on the seminar »Working with the documentary material«
participation on the consultation about national professional qualification,
participation on the seminar of the Union of the deaf about suggestions new laws and standard rules for equaliying the possibilities od invalids, deaf and hard of hearing,
we entertain two interpreters from Macedonia with purpose to get more information about the legal right of the deaf to interpreters and the educating the interpreters,
we responded to invitation of the society of the deaf and hard of hearing from Pomurje, that their members explain again the content of the Law of using slovene sign language we prepared new content for the process of getting the certificate,
one worker participated the seminar as prepare on professional examin on the social care field.

We evaluated, that the work of the association at firs halfyear 2007 was succesful. There is more awarness of hearing public at the assurance the right of deaf people to interpreter, which is shown in positive responses. Despite activity there remain some open questions, important for performing the law. Still there is nonsolved problem of participation the interpreter on the ares of basic, high and faculty education.

 The report prepared by: Jasna Bauman
 The translation into English: Darja FIŠER

website: www.tolmaci.si
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