Foundation on the Association of deaf and hard of hearing of the Republic of Macedonia

In December, 1947 the first Initiative Committee for founding on a special organization of deaf and hard of hearing people in Macedonia was established, with a task to realize preparations for the Primary Assembly. The members of this Committee were: Gavro Gavroski, Slobodan Dojcinovski, Kosta Gikovski and Josip Stancic.

Special help in the founding of the organization gave the Ministry of Social Welfare of the Republic of Macedonia. The Ministry helped in founding of other humanitarian organizations.

The help providing was supported from the politics and the politician’s attitude as by the people in charged in the offices,with a thought that there is an urgent need of a support in the development of the protection and care for the disabled persons in the Republic.The same attitude was adopted by the associated forums and competent ministries where the total politics of the state was created.

In March, the 28th, 1948, in the hall of the Graffic Institute “Goce Delcev”, the first Primary Assembly of the organization that got the name “the Association of deaf of Macedonia”, was hold. In the presence of representatives of the political organizations , the Ministry of Social Welfare of the Republic of Macedonia, The Ministry of Education of the Republic of Macedonia, the Committee of the Association of the blind of the Republic of Macedonia, guests from the Union of deaf of Yugoslavia, the organization got a great support from the Government and a particular social meaning and position from the beginning. The relation ship continued, attending the social changes in Yugoslavia where the successor of the National Front – The Social Union of the working people in Yugoslavia as well as in the republics was the political organization that included all civilian organizations.

In the Primary Assembly the first Committee of the Association of deaf of the Republic of Macedonia that included 20 members was elected. The members of the Committee were:Josip Stancic, Gavro Gavroski , Panco Suskov , Strahil Trajkovski , Jove Stamenkovski , Rodna Gorgova , Ciril Pejkovski , Dimko Rusajkov (Skopje), Milan Dimkovski (Bitola), Velko Cvetanovski (Titov Veles), Tome Ristovski (Tetovo), Dobre Levkov (Stip), Blaga Vasilevska (Prilep), Metodija Urdov (Radovis), Micko Marin (Kocani) and Velibor Mladenov (Kumanovo).

The first meeting of the Committee was held the same day and the Management and the Supervisory Committee were elected. The members of the Management Committee were: Josip Stancic (The first President), Georgi Bozbokilos (The Vice President), Gavro Gavroski (The Secrettary) and Kosta Gikovski (booking-clerk). Pavle Milovski was elected a President.

Some priority program tasks were established after the constituting of the Association organs.The main task was about the membership and creation of organizations in the municipalities.
How serious this question is taken can be seen by the approach of the same in the first meeting of the Committee just after its constitution, held in May, the 16th in 1948 in Skopje where a decision of making organization in Skopje and Veles was brought out

Stage in development of the organization

In its 65 years development the Association of deaf and hard of hearing went through a couple of stages, made some changes in name and the Statute, changes in the program priorities , organization, agreeing with the changes of the social system, development of the institutional network, social legislation and the needs of the members.

The first period (1948–1967) there are many efforts and activities related to the foundation of the regional organizations in functioning and providing conditions necessary for work , designing a program goal and task according to the actual use of the membership. In this period the basic educational and rehabilitation institutes of deaf persons are created.

Of the reports it is obvious that the foundation of the network of regional organizations is laid There were 17 organizations, 5 of them were mega municipal (in Ohrid, Bitola, Kumanovo, Stip and Prilep), 11 of them were municipal (in Titov Veles, Kicevo, Tetovo, Makedonski Brod, Strumica, Gostivar, Kavadarci, Resen, Gevgelija, Valandovo and Negotino) and 1 was a city organization in Skopje. Some of the municipal organizations were occasionally crushed and re–activated, and later the organization from Struga has joined so the total number of organizations was 18.

The foundation of the institutional network is laid in this period. In 1949, “The Institute of deaf children” started to work, that in the period of the school year 1951-52 moved from Skopje to Bitola where it still exists under the name of “Rehabilitation Institute for children and Youth – Koco Racin”, Bitola. The Hearing center, speech and voice in Skopje is opened in 1955 in the range of it works the Audio logical Center from 1960. In 1955, The Center for professional rehabilitation “25th of May” (now is “Partenija Zografski”) where expert training of the deaf is performed for certain crafts, was founded in Skopje. The jobs were mainly handled in the protective workshops. The first workshop was “Svetlost” from Skopje (1952) and later “Unius” in Tetovo, “Ukras” in Ohrid (several changes in name) for witch the preparations started in 1967 and finished and started to work in 1968. That same year, the start–up initiative for creating a vacation home for the deaf and hard of hearing, which is rounded off in 1975 was the use of the Vacation home of the Association of deaf and hard of hearing of Macedonia, named “Daljan” in Ohrid.

The second period (1968-1980) is decided by stabilization of the organization, engagement in the improving of work conditions in the regional organizations and their transformation  in order to better acceptation of membership,  and its limiting of socially – humanitarian, culturally – entertainment and sport – recreate activities if the members; carrying out activities related to the improvement of the public health for the deaf and hard of hearing which involves several goals : rounding down the systematic legislation which regulates the rights of the deaf and improving of their function,  greater cooperation and active presence in the meetings organized by the associations in the other Republics as well as those on a union level. Actually,  this was a period of the Associations introducing to the public and their presence in the social life.

The third period (1981-1991) realizes a series of questions that have been imposed by the changes in the social system;  by the change in the financing of the organizations  that is going to be only through the so – called  self – governing interest communities; by the foundation of the Republic Conference of socially – humanitarian organizations and appropriate joining in the municipalities.  It begun to encounter difficulties,  especially around the necessary material means for the activities of the organizations  as well as for the activity on the institutional network.  The necessary cadre of surdologists  and other defectologists in the Republic was created.

The fourth period (1992-1998) imposed numerous questions related to the necessary transformation of the organization due to the changes in the overall political environment. The unloading of the SFRY is created by an independent Republic of Macedonia that,  through all segments begins to build special relations with other states,  with the world and European organizations and associations.  In this period the Association of deaf and hard of hearing of Macedonia changed its Statute and managed to get started in the World  organization of deaf and in the specialized sport and labor organizations. The law on the activities of the public organizations and citizen associations and the manner of their financing has been amended recently,  which imposed a new harmonization in the organization. The economic crisis of the country brought a number of difficulties and needs of engagement in order to preserve the achieved level of social protection of the deaf and hard of hearing in the Republic of Macedonia. At the same time ,  there is also a visible gap between the need and the possibilities in the domain of the Association as well as the domain of the institutions.  It has been shown that good organizations have where most deaf people are present and such concentration is in several cities (Skopje, Prilep,  Bitola,  Kumanovo,  Tetovo,  Stip,  Ohrid), the least of the activities in the rural areas are needed and they need to be assisted by other forms.  On the other hand there is a discussion of the possibilities of providing the opportunities for development and rehabilitation of the deaf and their needs for employment and  life. It is a complex and delicate problem  that requires a lot of tolerance and persistence to be solved.

The fifth period (1999-2013) is a period when the NADHHRM in the independent Macedonia takes over the activities to improve the position of the deaf from the aspect of improving  the legal regulations,  education,  social protection,  employment,  culture, sport and recreation,  international cooperation, cooperation with domestic non – government humanitarian organizations,  state organs  and institutions. In this period,  their activities enable people to recognize the needs and problems of the deaf,  to raise awareness among people and the state.  There are 17 associations in the NADHHRM,  from different cities.

SPORT SOCIETY “SLOBODA” – Skopje

After the foundation in 1954, the first sport society of deaf and hard of hearing in Macedonia was named SSK and later ‘’Sloboda ‘’which name it still has today. From the very beginning, the society founded a football club and several sections. Activities are gradually expanding with the increase in the number of members and has the following disciplines :volleyball, basketball, ping pong, shooting, chess, athletics, fighting, bowling, darts for women. It is a fact that the largest number of members from the city organization of the deaf and hard of hearing have a special inclination towards sports activities, such that some of them are members in more than one section and practice more sports.

The goals of the associations, the way and the forms of work:

• respecting the human rights of persons with disabilities
• involvement in the society and participation in everyday life
• non – discrimination on persons with disabilities
• encouraging persons with disabilities to rely on their strength and ability
• Autonomy of persons with disabilities as a service user
• economic, social, health and legal protection for the persons with disabilities
• social justice and security
• the association performs detection of the deaf persons and their registration and inclusion in the work of the association
• acts and works on the plan of protection of the deaf and hard of hearing, their rehabilitation,  education,  employment,
• organizes cultural entertainment activities on the deaf and hard of hearing
• it affirms the sign language
• It launches a huge number of forms and information through which the deaf and hard of hearing will be informed for all events occurring in all areas in life in our country
• cooperation with humanitarian organizations
• initiates civilian initiatives to amend and supplement existing legislation and adoption of new laws with the ultimate protection of deaf persons
• it helps and develops the sport on the deaf
• cooperates with appropriate associations and unions in the state
• performs other goals set in their work program

The tasks of the associations are realized through the following forms of action:

• defining interests and representing the needs of people with disabilities, contribution in gaining awareness in the public,  impact on the changes in their benefits
• planning, organizing and performing projects that enable a specific group of people with disabilities active participation, helping to avoid the disability and greater independence in life, training for active life and work,  transport, supplying with technical assistance, personal help,  care,  physical help,  day care centers,  clubs,  programs for children with special needs, programs for old,  sick people, interpreting and supporting, health care programs and other rehabilitation projects,  informative,  publishing,  cultural,  recreational sport activity,
• participation in the prevention and disarming of the barriers, in the physical and social environment
• organizing and conducting activities for acquaintance with the deaf in the field of health protection, medical and social rehabilitation, education, empowerment, employment, social protection, culture, sport and recreation
• prevention and mitigation of the social and psychological consequences of disability
• facilitating persons with self – help disability and their close relatives and other persons for life and work with them
• developing the social skills of persons with disabilities and their information in different areas in life
• encouraging the activities of appropriate organs and organizations for a better solution to the questions related to the persons with disabilities
• participation and preparation of state measures and proposals for the adoption of regulations and measures for the disability protection
• representation, protection and respect for rights and interests at the state and local level
• providing support and creating opportunities for the development of self – help and charity
• connection with other disability organizations in the country and abroad
• other tasks defined in the founding act of the disability organization, as follows :
  • прибирање на податоци за социјалната, здравствената, образовната и личната семејна состојба за секој член
  • collecting data for social, health,  educational and personal status for each member
  • systematizing and static processing of all data for all members
  • permanent training of staff that will be able to communicate with the sign language
  • launching on the initiative for improving the quality of education of the deaf and hard of hearing
  • participation in various seminars, consultations and expert debates
  • helping to form a cultural and artistic society
  • helping to form a sport society and club
  • also performs other program tasks in the interest of the membership.