History.

Mr. Walter Wouts established the federation in 1969 in Brussels, Belgium. He was principal of a school for deaf children. He was very active in promoting FEAPDA. The setting up of this federation came from a desire of Teachers of the Deaf to play a more active role in discussions and to allow them to express and exchange ideas about the education of deaf children and young people more effectively than in the big international congresses. The federation holds a Congress every two years.

Our History

Congresses

• The last congress took place in April 2024 in Malahide (Ireland). The topic was: “Diversity in deaf education, Exploring the diversity of deaf learners in their many lives: implications for our knowledge and practice”
  
• In 2022 the Congress took place in Tallinn (Estonia) under the topic” Innovation, Opportunities, and Challenges in the 21st Century Deaf Education: Technology in and Outside the Classroom"
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• In 2019 in Skopje, Macedonia. The topic of the conference was "Preparing for adulthood".
• 2016 The congress was held in Luxembourg and the topic was "Inclusion and what it means for deaf education".
• 2013 The Congress was held in Slovenia at the University of Koper and the topic was "Supporting deaf teenagers".
• 2011 The congress was held at Sint Michielsgestel in the Netherlands and the topic was "Literacy".
• 2009 The congress was held in Verona, Italy and the topic was "Professionals working with families".
• 2007 The congress was held in Friedberg,Germany and the topic was "Cochlear implants".
• 2005 The congress was held in Geneva Switzerland and the topic was "Deaf children from ethnic minorities".
• 2003 The congress, held in Cardiff, Wales in the United Kingdom and the topic was "The issue of challenging behaviour in deaf children and examined what causes such behaviour in young people. What are the triggers and how do we deal with them best? How do we identify and manage these behaviours? Are they always exclusive to the child and do we ever consider that we are part of the problem rather than the solution?".
• 2001 There was a congress in Strasbourg, France. This congress topic was "New challenges in the education of deaf children".
• 1999 The congress was held in in Orebro, Sweden. This congress topic was "Sign bilingualism".
• 1997 The congress was held in Antwerpen, Belgium. This congress topic was "Early intervention".
• 1995 The congress was held in Siena, Italy. This congress topic was "The integration of hearing-impaired children and young people".
• 1993 The congress was held in Luxembourg. This congress topic was "Education of deaf children with a cochlear implant".
• 1991 The congress was held in Zurich, Switzerland. This congress topic was "Cooperation between school, parents and deaf adults in the education of deaf children and young people. Possibilities and limitations".
• 1989 The congress was held in Rotterdam in The Netherlands. This congress topic was "Why there are special schools for the deaf"
• 1987 The congress was held in Marseille, France. This congress topic was "Reading with particular reference to modern technology".
• 1985 The congress was held in Essen, Germany and the congress topic was "The multi-handicapped deaf child".
• 1983 The congress was held in Sigtuna, Sweden and the congress topic was "Language acquisition - but how ????????".
• 1981 The congress was held in Fribourg, Switzerland and the topic was "Issues of communication".
• 1979 The congress was held in Oslo, Norway and the topic was "Reading and deaf children".
• 1977 There was a congress in Bordeaux, France and the topic was "The possibilities of ensuring the education of the profoundly deaf children in the framework of the education of hearing children".
• 1975 The congress was held in Essen, Germany and the topic was "The uses and limitations of special apparatus in the acquisition of speech by deaf children".
• 1973 The congress was held in Nyborg,Denmark and the topic was "Hearing-impaired children at nursery and primary school level".
• 1971 The congress was held in Luxembourg and the topic was "The curriculum for older pupils".
• 1969 The congress was held in Groningen, The Netherlands and the topic was "Basic problems of the language development of profoundly deaf children".

Our Aims

FEAPDA brings together associations of Teachers of the Deaf from all over Europe. The aim of FEAPDA is to represent and support Teachers of the Deaf by sharing good practice principally through organising a congress hosted by one of the member countries.

Although FEAPDA's principal activity has been putting on a conference every two or three years, the federation has also been involved in some wider European projects. These include the Leonardo project (insert link) and the iCARE project which has just finished (insert link; photo attached) These exciting initiatives ensures that FEAPDA's voice was able to participate with a wide range of other bodies across many countries some of which are not already involved in FEAPDA. FEAPDA was able to offer expertise and contacts from among its members. Although some years ago the outcomes of the Leonardo Project continue to be used in different countries and are seen as worthy aims for deaf education today.

Former FEAPDA President, Vice-President and Treasurer Professor Dr Guido Lichtert gives his final public lecture at the iCARE conference in Leuven, Belgium in November 2017.

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