CARES-Deaf aims to help higher education institutions and future sign language interpreters respond to the European call of deaf citizens to equally access mental health care services, without discrimination on the basis of their deafness. 

To achieve the overall objective, the consortium will:

- Identify and characterise the conditions for access to mental health care of deaf people, through a European survey for deaf citizens questioning the relationship between their mental health (e.g. anxiety, stress, depression) and the conditions (success and challenging factors) when accessing mental health care; 

- Develop a masterclass for higher education institutions’ teachers in translation and interpretation of sign language courses to capacitate them with mental healthcare communication to cover this interpreting need with deaf citizens;

- Develop a training course for current and future sign language interpreters to be facilitated by their teachers and supporting their transition to the labour market with a specialisation in mental healthcare communication that will enable successful medical assistance to deaf citizens;

- Elaborate policy recommendations from the project’s lessons learnt towards a more inclusive higher education teaching and learning environment, and a more inclusive mental health care provision in Europe;

 - Create a dissemination campaign including national events, and workshops for deaf people in mental healthcare communication through sign language, and audiovisual resources to increase the debate and the awareness of HEIs, healthcare services and civic society around the rights of persons with deafness.

The participation of your Association is crucial in the Cares-Deaf project since it brings direct contact and specific knowledge regarding the experiences and perceptions of deaf people, sign language interpreters and mental health practitioners on the topic. 

>Concrete results: 

1) Scientific knowledge on access to health care for deaf people, specifically revealing the challenges in communication with mental health providers and gaps in European health knowledge for deaf people including those with even higher risk of marginalization. 

2) Toolkit for HEIs’ educators to deliver a training of healthcare communication for deaf people assistance, increasing the HEIs offer to improve the professional development of future and alumni sign language interpreters. 

3) Training course for future and alumni sign language interpreters, to be offered by European HEIs with sign language teaching. 

4) Policy recommendations that supports the validation of the project results, by an advisory board including representatives from the deaf, the sign language interpreters and the mental healthcare service communities in Europe, and promotes the project communication and exploitation. 

5) National events for the European community and workshops for deaf citizens to increase the knowledge on the project topics.

Refª KA220-HED-38E2A3D9