Spread the sign – Syria Erasmus Project

Project Title

Spread the sign – Syria

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Integration of refugees; Disabilities – special needs

Project Summary

Thanks to the approved application, we could work on and improve one part of the many effects caused by the Syrian migrant crisis.
The project aimed to support the educational needs of adult deaf Syrian migrants by adding the Syrian Sign Language, and three other other sign languages in the region of Syria and Turkey (the Bulgarian sign language, the Greek sign language and the Cypriot sign language) , to an already existing on-line educational tool “Spread the Sign” (www.spreadthesign.com). “Spread the Sign” is a free visual sign language dictionary on the web that started as a Leonardo pilot project in 2006 and today it has more than 38 countries and 540.000 sign language videos.
Adding the Syrian Sign Language and the Arabic words to the online dictionary is done and will truly benefit Syrian deaf migrants, sign language teachers for adults and others interested to help this disadvantaged group such as migrant organisations working with/for migrants. It will facilitate their integration process to the host country as well as their educational opportunities by helping them to learn the local sign language.

Some of the objectives were:
1) To support the social inclusion and integration of the deaf/hearing impaired Syrian migrants and raise awareness.
2) To provide equal educational opportunities to deaf/hearing impaired Syrian migrants and people with hearing disabilities from partners countries.
3) To support adult educators in their work with hearing impaired people.

The specific objectives were:
1) To enrich the on-line visual dictionary “Spread the Sign” with video recording of the Syrian, Greek, Cypriot and Bulgarian Sign Languages
2) To offer an open platform on the web, and App, for sign language learning to people all over Europe. www.spreadthesign.com
4) To organise National Conferences to spread the project’s products and results.

The five transnational partners with the relevant but also complimentary experience carried out the project successfully:
– European Sign Language Center in Sweden
– Mert Öztüre Special Education Vocational High School in Turkey
– United Societies of Balkans (U.S.B.) In Greece
– SYNTHESIS Center for Research and Education Ltd, Cyprus
– KU TU EOOD, Bulgaria

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 361793 Eur

Project Coordinator

Europeiskt Teckenspråkcenter & Country: SE

Project Partners

• UNITED SOCIETIES OF BALKANS
• KU TU EOOD
• Rheinisch-Westfälisches Berufskolleg Essen LVR-Förderschule Förderschwerpunkt Hören u. Kommunikation
• mert ozture ozel egitim meslek lisesi
• SYNTHESIS CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION LIMITED