ZDGNS- Zveza društev gluhih in naglušnih Slovenije – Slovenia

The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Clubs Association of Slovenia (ZDGNS) is a non-governmental, professional disability organisation which, since its foundation in 1931 in the then Drava region, has been working for an equal social position and rights for people with hearing impairments: the deaf, the hard of hearing, the deafblind and people with cochlear implants. ZDGNS cooperates with the competent governmental authorities and bodies by means of expert proposals, warnings and opinions.

ZDGNS is a representative disability organisation with 6,497 members, grouped in 13 inter-municipal associations. As an operator of 11 special social programmes at national and local level, it has the status of a public interest association in the field of social protection for persons with hearing impairment.
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Hearing impairment and communication disabilities limit deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind and cochlear implanted people in many situations in their lives, especially in accessing information, and have a major impact on their position in society. At the Association, we organise training courses that are tailored to the needs of our members. We provide seminars, conferences, workshops and roundtables in techniques adapted to the needs of deaf and hard of hearing people, providing them with key information and guidance for their integration into society and monitoring the legislation that affects their lives. We also train professional staff who work with them in partnership with our users.