Description of organisation

The Union of the Deaf of Northern Greece (E.K.B.E) is a non-profit association which supports the deaf and hearing impaired who are in need as well as their families and aims at improving their living conditions and facilitating their socialisation process. In Thessaloniki, we organise events to involve the deaf and hearing-impaired population and make them socialise and gain skills. We dedicate particular attention to the youth since it is the most critical period for the self-development of the person and the one where we have to put all our efforts to foster the self-confidence of the deaf and hearing-impaired persons.

The sports club of the deaf of northern Greece is housed in the same building as our organisation. We support the involvement of the deaf people through sports and along the years we have formed teams for basketball, football and other sports.

In the recent years the Union has carried out the following activities:
• Events and seminars to raise society’s awareness of the deaf and hearing impaired.
• Educational trips to create and keep the contact between the deaf people living in different parts of Greece and those abroad.
• Educational seminars and information sessions offered to the deaf, both to improve their skills for the labour market or to get involved in the society (Linux, environmental protection, recycling, prevention against breast and cervix cancer)
• Cultural activities: folk dances group for children and adults, theatre groups
• Groups of creative activities for children (painting and other)
• Emotional and financial support to the members of the Union, especially at Christmas and Easter by organising dinners free of charge with products coming from donations to the Union.
• Participation in the study WORKABILITY carried out by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki concerning the right of people with disabilities to work.
• Guided tour at museums
• Treasure hunt games in the centre of Thessaloniki organised by the Union of the deaf, Dot2dot and Gamecraft.
• Participation of the folk dances for the deaf group in the 20th International Festival of Sinies in Corfu.
• Participation of E.K.B.E in the 6th Night Half Marathon of Thessaloniki.

Inclusion topics

This organisation is willing to involve volunteers who face situations which make their participation in activities more difficult, from the following categories for different types of project:

• Disability
• Economic obstacles
• Geographical obstacles