Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Federation

(Singapore)

Managed for, of and by Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Members.

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2006 Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Federation (Singapore). All Rights Reserved
Created by Judy Ho and Wilson Ong on January 1, 2006
Revised by Wilson Ong and Charles Chang on February 1, 2009
Updated on 25 January 2010

Welcome...

to the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Federation (Singapore) Website. We hope this site will provide an access to networking in Singapore and across other countries.

 

Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Federation (Singapore), aka, DHHFS is a non-profit, self-help and advocacy organisation of the Deaf Community, for the Deaf Community and managed by Board of Management. We, DHHFS, represent the Deaf Community that is a group of deaf and hard-of-hearing people, a community united by shared experiences, history and, above all, the rights to visual accessibilities - signed language, captioning on TV and Internet, appropriate lip-reading, telecommunications.

The Deaf Community has played a central role in their lives. It is where they meet people with hearing impairment/loss, often for the first time. In the community they develop socialization patterns and friendships that frequently last throughout their lifetimes. There they meet spouses, acquire a language that accommodates visual orientation, and become a part of culture that extends beyond their school years.

Singapore Sign Language (SSL) is a common language used by signed users based on shared experiences, oral history and culture that are known as Deaf Culture. SSL has not yet officially been a national sign language of Singapore's Deaf Community that seeks a right definition of its own like definitions of ASL, BSL, AUSLAN and many other languages of Deaf users. As with the signed language, the means of transmission to children occurs within communities of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing adults such as Deaf clubs, Deaf sports, families with signing Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing parents and in schools for the Deaf such as Singapore School for the Deaf, Canossian School for the Hearing-Impaired, and other schools that children mainstream. A parallel of language contact and pidgin has occurred between Shanghai signs, localized signs, American signs and school signs within the community.

Thus they have interacted linguistically to become a common language - Singapore Sign Language. And that motivated our Members to congregate together to form an organization for social life and shared experiences. Their dream came true to have a physical place of their own.

The beginning...

In 1998, an organisation of the Deaf Community, for the Deaf Community was founded by nine Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing founder members in the island of Singapore with its population of estimate 2.5 million multi-racial people. Its goal is to empower Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing people to the rights to visual accessibilities - signed language, captioning on TV and Internet, appropriate lip-reading, telecommunications, and full participations.

In 1999 the Constitution of DHHFS was drafted by Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing members and approved by the Registrar of Societies. DHHFS is officially listed and accepted by the Commissioner of Charities. Singapore Government Gazette records our number 1883.

At first, the name of the organisation was Asian Deaf Association of Singapore known as ADAS. In 2003, Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held to discuss the renaming of the organisation called Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Federation (Singapore), known as DHHFS due to our existence in serving the Deaf Community in Singapore.

A humble existence...

There was no office or housing for our newfound organisation. DHHFS had its temporary address at a member's landed premise. Meetings were mostly held in cafes or food courts in the evenings and on weekends; we rented space in community centres for our events. In 2000, we were given a space, with two other organisations that shared in using the make-shift void deck office at Telok Blangah Crescent.

Empowering Visual Accessibilities through Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Federation (Singapore).

To advocate for equal opportunities for the deaf and hard-of-hearing people and support services that improve their lives.

Board of Management is comprised of President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary, Assistant Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Assistant Honorary Treasurer and two Board Members. They are elected and voted by Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Ordinary Members at Annual General Meeting and a term of Office is 2 years in accordance with the Constitution.