FEDAPAS – Federación Extremeña de Deficientes Auditivos Padres y Amigos del Sordo
The Extremadura Federation of Hearing-Impaired Parents and Friends of the Deaf (FEDAPAS) began its journey in mid-February 2000. The federation was established through the union of the Association of Hearing Impaired of Badajoz and Province (ADABA) and the Cacereña Association of Parents and Friends of the Deaf (ASCAPAS), founded in 1993 and 1996, respectively. The federation was declared of Public Utility in 2004 and is affiliated with CERMI-Extremadura and the Spanish Confederation of Parents and Friends of the Deaf (FIAPAS).
FEDAPAS develops various programs to meet the demands and needs of people with hearing disabilities and their families in areas such as healthcare, educational training, and labour and socio-cultural integration.
Additionally, FEDAPAS organizes various awareness and information campaigns, as well as congresses and/or seminars to bring the reality of deaf individuals closer to society. It also offers several services, including information on eliminating communication barriers, employment awareness, support for the programs of member entities, and information and advice on subsidies and grants for hiring or creating jobs, among others.
FEDAPAS is a founding member of CERMI EXTREMADURA and is also integrated at the national level in the FIAPAS confederation.
From FEDAPAS, it is important to note that, according to the latest study from 2008 by the NATIONAL STATISTICS INSTITUTE (INE), there is a population of 1,064,600 people in Spain with some form of hearing loss, of which only 13,300 use sign language. This means that over 98% of deaf individuals communicate using spoken language and require communication support, which is provided by FEDAPAS.
Throughout the autonomous community of Extremadura, FEDAPAS and its member entities work in the following areas:
- Support and Assistance to Families
- Healthcare
- Education
- Employment
- Accessibility
Over the years, FEDAPAS has designed and developed working networks that focus on the priority efforts of the Federation:
Institutional Development Network
This network enhances the federative and associative structure, strengthening the representation and management capacity of FEDAPAS and its federated entities. Through this network, the associative fabric of FEDAPAS consolidates as the largest platform representing families of deaf individuals.
Family Support and Assistance Network
Focused on families and individuals with hearing loss, characterized by its interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral nature, comprised of services in which professionals and parent guides assist families specifically requesting this type of service.
Speech Therapy Intervention Network
Directed toward providing speech therapy services, aimed at facilitating access to spoken language for deaf children, youth, and adults.
Specialized Training Network
Focused on the specialization of professionals (teachers, speech therapists, and counsellors).
Labor Insertion Network
In its Employment Services, more than 2,000 deaf individuals and those with other disabilities have been assisted since 2004, managing over 600 contracts, with 81% in ordinary companies. Since its inception, this network has firmly promoted labour insertion in ordinary companies.
Accessibility Promotion Network
A cross-cutting axis in all other areas, which has been developed since the year 2000, launching the Accessibility Support Service (SAC). This service, with a regional character and through the coordination of four accessibility support teams, addresses the needs of deaf individuals concerning accessibility at public events, utilizing resources to support hearing and oral communication (loop systems and subtitling).
Within this network, AUDIOSIGNO S.R.L.U. was created in 2006, a company of FEDAPAS designated as a Special Employment Centre, whose main economic activity involves providing accessibility services for communication: real-time subtitling, live/recorded audio description, sign language interpretation, installation of magnetic loops and FM Equipment loan.
