WHERE
InForma Zentrum für Hörgeschädigte gGmbH is a social enterprise in the north of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany, founded in May 1998. The non-profit organisation employs, supports, counsels and accompanies the disabled, especially the deaf and hard of hearing, with the aim of integrating them into the employment market. Currently there are 33 employees, including 16 severely disabled, most of them hard of hearing. The counselling department of InForma offers advice on assisted living, services for integration (InForma runs a specialised mediation service for the hard of hearing, called Integrationsfachdienst - IFD), attendance for hard of hearing people who have a job, interpreting services in sign language, family assistance, as well as advanced training. The activities of the production line include industrial sewing and alterations, laundry and assembly work.
A hearing-impaired person as an organiser is the key success factor for this meeting centre
InForma is a member of the ’Diakonie’ (Diakonisches Werk der Evangelischen Kirche im Rheinland), one of the six German welfare organisations. In Germany the ’Diakonie’ is the institution for the social work of the protestant church. It is a non-profit association with 26,800 institutions with more than 420,000 employees.
WHY
Due to the current situation on the labour market, integration into the employment market has become very difficult. Many people cannot stay in the job they are trained for. The integration of hard of hearing people has become even more difficult, because they are now competing against hearing people. Their search for employment is hampered because of lack of literacy, misinterpretations of job announcements, and inability to submit job applications and to contact potential employers independently.
In addition, the hard of hearing are not able to participate in the support procedures in general conceived for hearing people. The agencies’ contact points are not accessible for them because of the existing barriers of communication.
For these reasons, it is important to provide additional support for the deaf and hard of hearing in order to encourage their own initiative in line with empowerment and to facilitate their participation in the employment market. This supplementary support is offered in addition to the IFD which already offers support for unemployed hard of hearing people.
HOW
The sponsors’ association for hard of hearing people in Neuwied, which has become InForma Zentrum für Hörgeschädigte gGmbH, offered the first meeting centre for deaf and hard of hearing people in 1997. Unemployed hard of hearing people were offered assistance for self-help through information and support as well as an opportunity for interaction. They met three times a week – having breakfast together once – in a so-called ‘Offener Treff’. There were excursions and presentations on topics like ‘How to apply for a job’ as well as on the current situation on the employment market. The initiative aimed at having the participants continuing the meeting centre themselves. However, this aim could not be achieved. After approximately nine months the meeting centre was closed down because of lack of participation.
A new meeting centre for unemployed people was launched within the Equal II Community Initiative in January 2006. Initially, the meetings took place twice a week before they were reduced to once a week due to the participants’ long travelling times. The meeting focuses on information, counselling and integration, including training for applicants and arrangement of employment opportunities in co-operation with service for integration as well as interaction between the participants.
Experiences
The new meeting centre is led by a hard of hearing employee – and this is the main difference to the first meeting centre. Having a hard of hearing person organising the meetings guarantees a barrier-free communication and the participants feel more comfortable within their special cultural background. In addition, the employee serves as a model of successful integration and is fully accepted by the participants.
In 2006 the group consisted of five members and one deaf leader. During that year three of the members were placed in a job. In the beginning of 2007 a new group was started with again five members and now two leaders. With this small group and two leaders it is possible to be responsive to the different levels of knowledge and experiences of each member. For example, when the group starts searching for jobs on the Internet, some of the members know how to use a computer, while others don’t. With two leaders there is enough time for everyone’s need and to explain job advertisements. The members are motivated and hope to get a new job with the help of this meeting center.
For further information: InForma Zentrum für Hörgeschädigte gGmbH, gkissinger(at)informa.org