Many Deaf people in Flanders regard Sweden as a role model in the fields of education, culture, art, and media for the Deaf community. But how does the status of Swedish Sign Language compare to that of Flemish Sign Language? To explore this, Visual Box, a Deaf-led media company from Flanders, visited Sweden during their annual Deaf Day, known as “Dövas Dag.” This year, the event took place in a very special location: a cruise ship!
Deaf Day over the Baltic Sea: A Unique Experience
In Flanders, Doof Vlaanderen, the national association for the Deaf, organises the annual World Deaf Day. This event takes place in a different city each year and is traditionally held at the end of September. Hundreds of Deaf people from all over Flanders gather for a day full of lectures, workshops, information stands, children’s programmes, and an evening show. In Sweden, they do things differently. Dövas Dag lasts three days and, this year, was held on a cruise ship. “For us, this is unique because such an event has never been organised at sea in Flanders,” says Jaron Garitte, journalist for Visual Box.
The cruise ship departed on the afternoon of 13 September from Stockholm and sailed to Helsinki in Finland, returning to Stockholm on 15 September. The three-day trip gave Deaf people the opportunity to socialise in sign language and take part in various Deaf-related activities on board. “People come here for social contacts and Deaf empowerment. Moreover, I think it’s a luxury for them to only pay once for an all-inclusive ticket, which covers the boat trip, a room, and access to the event,” explains Paulina Wlostowski, one of the organisers from the Stockholm Deaf Association. However, costs are a concern. “For some, it can be challenging to afford this. Perhaps we should think about ways to support those who would like to attend but cannot afford it.”
Collaboration Between National and Local Associations
This year, Dövas Dag was organised by the Stockholm Deaf Association, Stockholms Dövas Förening, with support from the National Association of the Deaf. This is interesting, as in Flanders, Doof Vlaanderen usually takes the lead, often with the support of a local Deaf association in the city where World Deaf Day is held. “It’s true that things work differently here compared to Belgium,” explains Joakim Hagelin Adeby, the vice-chair of Sveriges Dövas Riksförbund (Swedish National Association of the Deaf). “In our case, the national association supports the local association in organising the Deaf Day.”
The idea of celebrating Deaf Day on a cruise ship is not new. The first time such an event took place at sea was in 1977, when the Swedish Deaf community organised a cruise to Gotland. “We also organised a similar event in 2018. We’re doing it again now because we have experience with this,” says David Farkas, treasurer of Stockholms Dövas Förening. “Our contact person for this cruise ship is the same as in 2018, which made organising much easier.” Last year, no association volunteered to organise Dövas Dag, so the Stockholm Deaf Association took the lead. Due to time constraints, the choice of a cruise ship was a logical solution. “Normally, we have two years to plan Dövas Dag. This year, we only had ten months. Fortunately, we were able to book this ship again,” explains Paulina Wlostowski. This year, more than 1,000 tickets were sold, slightly fewer than in 2018, when 1,600 tickets were sold. Nonetheless, the organisers are satisfied with the turnout.
Visual Box hopes that the unique approach of the Stockholm Deaf Association in organising their ‘World Deaf Day’ will inspire other countries, including Flanders, to explore new ways of celebrating this event. In the next article, Visual Box will delve deeper into the legal status of Swedish Sign Language, with an interview with the vice-chair of the Swedish NAD.