Mariya Gabriel: International exchange, access to higher education and innovation are needed in supporting the Deaf community
26 February 2024 News
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariya Gabriel participated in a conference of the deaf community organized by Deaf.bg and Fulbright Bulgaria. The President of Gallaudet University Roberta Cordano, the US Ambassador to Bulgaria Kenneth Merten, the Executive Director of Fulbright Bulgaria Angela Rodel and the CEO of Deaf.bg Ashod Derandonyan took part in the discussion.
The aim of the forum was to unite the efforts for international exchange of deaf sign language specialists from Bulgaria, the EU and the USA and encourage the exchange of good practices and the provision of more opportunities.
‘It is an honour and responsibility to participate in today's important event and express my support for the Deaf community. Support is the key word — you can count on the support of the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria. A significant step in this direction was the adoption in 2021 of the Bulgarian Sign Language Act. The challenge today is to turn this law into results and good initiatives’, Mariya Gabriel said.
Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. (USA) and is a world-renowned institution offering fully bilingual instruction in American Sign Language and written English. In 2023, Deaf.bg signed a cooperation agreement with the university, which is aimed at an active international exchange of knowledge and practices in the field of sign languages.
During the conference, a special focus was placed on establishing a long-term partnership in the field of exchange programmes between the EU and the US for the study of deaf language and sign language research. The Deputy Prime Minister underlined the importance of the dialogue with the EU and US institutions, which is important for creating more opportunities for international exchanges.
At the centre of the debate was the message that deaf people can be leaders — in education, research, innovation, the arts.
‘I am glad that I met so many talented and creative young people who work hard to protect the linguistic and cultural rights of deaf people in Bulgaria and around the world. We have good examples, but we need to give them more visibility and encourage cooperation between the academic communities in Bulgaria and the US, with the support of the European institutions’, Mariya Gabriel added.
She emphasized Bulgaria's election as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the period 2024 — 2026. One of the four leading national commitments Bulgaria will work on is the right to universal access to education for everyone. She said that the key is to develop national and international awareness campaigns to help the deaf community access inclusive higher education.
More photos
