Deaf Community - Being Deaf in Armenia

Brief History:

Armenia, a country in the Caucuses (Central Asia), has a general population of approximately three million people. Previously one of the 15 states of the former Soviet Union, it got its independence in 1991 after the collapse of the USSR. Currently there are 3,500 to 4,000 Deaf people living in the different provinces of Armenia and in the Capital Yerevan where the majority of the Deaf reside.

Education:

The trend of educating the Deaf in Armenia leans toward the oral methodology and speech reading. They are not encouraged to use the Armenian sign language. There are two schools for the Deaf in Armenia. Both of them are found in Yerevan. School number 9, for the hard of Hearing uses the oral method of instruction. School number 15 for the Deaf is presently experimenting with the bi-lingual approach of teaching language: the Armenian Sign Language and the Armenian Oral language. The students are enrolled in these schools to embark on an eight year education. They graduate from Grade 10 at the age of 18. They do not have the option or luxury to attend a higher institution for advanced or specialized education for the simple reason neither the universities nor the technical schools that are open to the general public are not accessible to deaf students. They do not have any kind of program that a high school deaf graduate could feel comfortable in a university lecture hall as does his hearing counterpart. The only vocations that some of the Deaf graduates can follow are shoemaking (boys), sewing (girls) and carpet weaving. The Deaf have no chance of any employment in the job market. The “hearing” employer does not “feel” comfortable by hiring a Deaf person. Those teachers who work with the Deaf do not know Armenian Sign Language. Ironically enough, there are no Deaf teachers, or Deaf educators, or Deaf mentors or Deaf leaders.

Armenian Sign Language interpreters:

For the 3.500-4.000 Deaf, there are only ten interpreters none of whom are certified. They are CODAs, Children of Deaf Adults, and initially they became interpreters to help their parents in the hearing world. There are no higher institutions where interpreters may specialize in Deaf culture, or understand interpreter’s code of ethics.

Communication:

The Deaf in Armenia do not have TTYs or Videophones or Relay operators. They are dependent on their hearing family member to make phone calls. Those who can afford a computer, and internet service or a cellular phone, are the lucky ones who do not depend on others to make a simple phone call. They simply instant message to communicate with one another. Television programs do not have close captioning. Out of the 21 local Armenian channels, only one provides an interpreter inset in the corner of only two programs. There is one Deaf club, called the Palace of the Deaf, where the Deaf to socialize. It also provides basic adult education programs which now are dwindling because of insufficient funding. In 1998, the first Deaf Pantomime Theater and Dance group, called Ovasis (which means Oasis in Armenian), was founded. Ovasis periodically participates in TV festivals nationally and internationally.

Books and Publications:

Although only recently the first Armenian Sign Language Dictionary was published, it is not available to anyone who wishes to have one. There are no known publications or researches done about Deaf culture or Deaf studies in Armenia today.