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Polish Sign Language
In Poland there are 5,000 deaf children in deaf schools, plus 1,000 who attend school with hearing children. There is a committee for the unification of Polish Sign Language, which has been used since 1889. Elementary schools for deaf children have been existing since 1817. Signed interpretation is required in court, provided for some college students and in important public events. Sign language instruction is provided for parents of deaf children together with sign language classes for hearing people.There is a committee on national sign language and a manual system for spelling.
Of the 50,000 deaf, 25,000 are members of Polish Association of the Deaf.
Polish Sign Language is not intelligible with American Sign Language.
Polish Association of the Deaf
The aim of the Polish Association of the Deaf is to create organisational framework to the deaf and other persons with hearing impairment to assist them in all matters of their life - 10 of the PAD Statute.
The Association is active on the whole territory of Poland providing care and help to about 100,000 members and charges, and pursuant to its statutory goals it shall ensure diagnosis and therapy of hearing and speech as well as intellectual and psychical development opportunities to children and young people with hearing impairment.
Moreover, it trains and prepares parents and care givers towards independent child therapy at home, organises rehabilitation residential courses, advises and assists with solving therapy problems, manages a hearing aid bank hiring the aids to the charges while they are waiting to obtain their own device.