Poland has made efforts towards rights and inclusion of people with disabilities, including deaf individuals.
The Act on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Their Rehabilitation is one of the major acts of legislation offering disability rights in the country.
In an attempt to enhance equality of opportunity and put an end to discrimination, this law creates the rights, protection, and rehabilitation accessible to individuals with disabilities.
The majority of deaf people in Poland still encounter discrimination in access to public services, employment, health care, and education despite the existence of this law.
For effective equality, one must be able to grasp how this law advances deaf rights and what areas should be enhanced.
The Act on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Their Rehabilitation
Polish disability rights are based on the Act on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Their Rehabilitation.
It provides for access to social services, work, health care, and education to individuals with disabilities, including the deaf.
For the sake of equal participation, discrimination based on disability is forbidden and institutions have to ensure reasonable accommodations.
This includes access to sign language interpreters, Polish Sign Language (PJM), and other communication devices for the deaf.
For the purpose of integrating people with disabilities into society and the labor market, the act also supports rehabilitation programs.
Even though the law is properly drafted, it is not necessarily applied consistently, and the majority of deaf people continue to have problems with accessibility in various spheres of life.
Education and Language Access for the Deaf
For deaf empowerment, education plays a significant role.
Deaf students have the right to learn in Polish Sign Language (PJM) under the Act on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Their Rehabilitation, which identifies the value of sign language in schools.
In Poland, deaf schools exist, and normal schools must include accessibility features like assistive technology and sign language interpreters.
Disparities in the access that deaf students have result from some schools’ incomplete response to these requirements.
In addition, by providing captioned materials, adapted teaching methods, and interpretation services, universities must make deaf students accessible.
There are still issues in spite of these legal protections, such as a lack of qualified interpreters and teachers’ unfamiliarity with deaf students’ needs.
To create a more inclusive classroom culture, there is a need to encourage more accessibility in education and make sure the law is applied correctly.
Employment Rights and Workplace Inclusion
By mandating employers to provide reasonable accommodations, the Act on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Their Rehabilitation safeguards the rights of deaf people in the workplace.
This encompasses workplace modifications to provide accessibility, sign language interpretation, and modified communication techniques.
Deaf people in Poland still experience challenges in finding employment that is commensurate with their abilities, however, in spite of these protections.
Due to misunderstandings about their capacity or apprehensions about communication difficulties, deaf workers are not preferred by most employers.
Business firms are encouraged to hire the disabled through government programs and incentives, but increased awareness and enforcement are essential to provide equal opportunities.
Enhanced employer training, improved workplace access, and more efficacious employment legislation can all contribute towards a more accessible labor market for the deaf.
Access to Public Services and Healthcare
Equal access to public facilities, such as healthcare, legal assistance, and government institutions, is guaranteed to deaf people by the Act on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Their Rehabilitation.
Healthcare accessibility is still a huge problem since many hospitals do not provide sign language interpreters for deaf patients.
This can cause misunderstandings, misdiagnosis, and trouble getting proper medical care.
Whereas there is some use of written communication systems and video interpreting by some hospitals, these products are not widely used.
The deaf must also have access to legal and governmental services, with sign language interpretation offered as and when needed.
Some of the deaf are unable to access assistance because there are differences in the quality and availability of these services.
In an effort to protect the rights of the deaf community, public services need to be made more accessible and institutions taken to court.
Challenges and Areas for Improvement
Poland has attempted to protect the rights of the deaf community, but there are a number of challenges that still have to be addressed.
Among the major problems is the lack of sign language interpreters.
Because there are more deaf individuals requiring interpreters than available interpreters, deaf individuals are less able to access services, education, and job opportunities.
The uneven enforcement of accessibility legislation is a problem.
All institutions are not rigorously enforcing the Act on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and
Their Rehabilitation, although it has sound legal protection.
To make sure all the industries respect the rights of the deaf, stronger enforcement and monitoring policies are necessary.
There is also bad public knowledge about sign language and deaf rights.
Deaf people are socially excluded and excluded from communication because the majority of hearing people do not learn Polish Sign Language.
Greater awareness of deaf culture and the establishment of sign language instruction can help to create a more inclusive society.
Conclusion
A good legal basis for the protection of deaf individuals’ rights in Poland is provided in the Act on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Their Rehabilitation.
It forbids discrimination and provides equal access to use public services, to employment, to healthcare, and to education.
However, because of a lack of accessibility, the lack of funds, and low awareness among the population, Deaf individuals are still excluded from these regulations.
To combat these challenges, more efforts should be directed towards enlightening the public about the rights of deaf people, increasing the accessibility provisions, and ensuring strict enforcement of the law.
Poland can move closer to realizing itself as a society where deaf individuals have equal chances and active participation in all areas of life by doing the following.
For those who are looking for additional support, Unspoken Language Services offers interpreting services to help bridge the communication gap between the deaf and hearing communities.
Thumbnail Photo credit: RDNE Stock project
