FEAPDA 2022 congress book

Welcome to the FEAPDA congress 2022!

As President of FEAPDA, I am delighted to welcome you to the beautiful city of Tallinn for the 26th FEAPDA Congress.

FEAPDA is a European Federation of Teachers of the Deaf and other professionals working in Deaf Education. Originally established as a federation of national associations almost 50 years ago, the constitution has recently changed, so that institutions/smaller organizations working in the field of deaf education, as well as national bodies, can now become members.

The main goals of FEAPDA are to support professional development, to share good practice and to participate in and disseminate research which will improve outcomes for deaf children and young people.

The congress, which is held every two-three years, is a key element of our work. Congress themes are chosen by council members to reflect significant areas of development in our field. The topic of technology was chosen by council members in 2019, as there have been so many advances, in terms of audiological support and educational practice for example. Our dependence on technology became even more apparent during the COVID pandemic, which in turn led to rapid changes in practice. It is great to have such a varied program for the congress, highlighting practice across so many different areas of Europe, exemplifying the goals of FEAPDA to develop and share effective practice. We are grateful to all the presenters and workshop providers who will be sharing their work.

I am immensely grateful to Raili and to Piret and their team from the Estonian Association of Teachers of Deaf and Hearing Impaired Children (Kuulmispuudega Laste Õpetajate Selts, KLÕPS, http://klops.edu.ee/), who have worked so hard, despite the challenges of COVID and the uncertain political situation, to make the congress possible.

Our thanks also go to the event sponsors, who have provided invaluable support:
- Estonian National Foundation of Civil Society (https://kysk.ee/en/),
- Spreadthesign dictionary (https://spreadthesign.com),
- Astangu Kutserehabilitatsiooni Keskus (https://www.astangu.ee/en).

Alison Weaver
President of FEAPDA

http://www.feapda.eu/

Some facts to know

WELCOME TO ESTONIA!

Estonia:
* Area: 45,339 km2
* Population: 1,331,796
* Official language: Estonian.
* Over 50% of the land is covered by forest.
* Highest "peak": 318 m
* There are over 1,500 islands, 1,000 lakes and 7,000 rivers in Estonia.
* One of the least religious countries in the world.
* Estonia holds the largest collection of national folk songs in the world.
* According to Unesco, Estonia has one of the highest adult literacy rates in the world – 99.8%!
* The results of the PISA study rank Estonian basic education as the best in Europe.
* Safety reflectors are mandatory for pedestrians and cyclists at all times!
* It is consistently touted as one of the most digitally advanced societies in Europe and the world as a whole. The country holds the world record for startups per person and has been described as one of the most internet-focused countries in Europe.
* It is the homeland of Skype, Hotmail and KaZaA.
* Estonia has some of the cleanest air in the world.
* The Estonian language is a nightmare to learn.
* It is the highest ranked European country for its freedom of the press.
* The longest day in summer is over 19 hours, the shortest winter day lasts only 6 hours. It is not completely dark at night from the beginning of May until the end of July.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3z-gH-qRyY

Tallinn:
* It is the capital and largest city of Estonia.
* 1/3 of the Estonian population lives in Tallinn.
* First mentioned in 1219, first traces of human settlement found are about 5,000 years old.
* Tallinn’s Old Town is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
* Chimney Sweeps in Tallinn continue to wear 19th century uniforms. If you come across one, be sure to touch his brass buttons - this brings good luck.
* It is the birthplace of the first Christmas tree in Europe (1441).
* The Raeapteek on Town Hall Square is Europe’s oldest continuously operating pharmacy. It has been open since 1422.
* 4.3 million visitors come to Tallinn annually.
* Offers free public transport for residents of the city.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4TdDUttDiw

Practical information

Arriving to the country
At the moment there are no restrictions for entering the country regarding the Covid-19 situation. For any conditions and possible restrictions, please see the latest official information from: https://kriis.ee/en/travelling-crossing-state-border/travelling-estonia/travelling-estonia

Local transportation
For arriving and departing from the Tallinn airport, please see the following instructions: https://www.tallinn-airport.ee/en/transport/leaving-the-airport/. If taking a tram to reach the congress venue, you need to get off at Hobujaama station and walk straight forward for about 100 meters - the hotel is located on the right side of the street. The Hobujaama station (and the next one - Viru) are also the very center of the city.

In case of emergency
The emergency phone number in Estonia is 112.
More information: https://www.112.ee/en/instruction/emergency-phone-number-112

Calling
The Estonian area code for phone calls is +372.

Currency
The currency of Estonia is the euro (€).

A warm welcome from the organizing committee!

The organizing committee is happy to welcome you at the 26th FEAPDA congress held in Tallinn, the beautiful medieval capital of Estonia.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the recent political developments in our geographical neighbourhood have hindered the organizing process of the congress in many ways and forced the event to be postponed by a year, however, we always believed that it is important to continue our work and find ways to get together even during the difficult times - and with your attendance at the congress, we know that you all consider it important as well.

Estonia, the hosting organization (Kuulmispuudega Laste Õpetajate Selts, KLÕPS) and the number of specialists working in the fied here is very small, but the more glad it makes us that the congress is taking place in Tallinn, with the participants of the congress coming from all over Europe and further afield.

We hope that you will have fruitful and interesting days at the congress and a good time in our beautiful city.

Tere tulemast! - Welcome!

Introduction of the host - Kuulmispuudega Laste Õpetajate Selts

The Estonian Association of Teachers of Deaf/Hearing Impaired Children (Kuulmispuudega Laste Õpetajate Selts, KLÕPS) is a non-governmental organization, which was established in 2011 on the initiative of active teachers, specialists and other professionals involved in the process of teaching and development of hearing impaired children.

The main aim of the organisation is to promote and improve the education of hearing impaired children as well as unite and represent all groups of interest, who aim on working with deaf and hard of hearing children or youngsters in the field of education (at all levels), individual development and betterment of the quality of life. In order to achieve the aims, the organization collects, arranges, publishes, creates and disseminates teaching and learning materials, knowledge and expertise; organizes courses and knowledge sharing events; participates in international cooperation.

The organization has currently 15 members, both deaf and hearing. All the activities carried out in the organization are either project based or voluntary, no paid staff is used.

KLÕPS has been a member of FEAPDA since 2018.

email: klops.selts@gmail.com
webpage: http://klops.edu.ee/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seltsklops