In The Deafblind Association of Slovenia DLAN, we marked the European Deafblind Day, which we celebrate on October 22, with pride and joy by publishing two books that represent an important novelty and a breakthrough in the field of deafblindness in Slovenia and worldwide.
Janko Plesec, the president of The Association DLAN, has become the first person with deafblindness in Slovenia to publish an independent poetry collection with title Veseli vandrovček. He has been writing poetry and with the help of personal assistants has been writing down everything since 2016, when membership in The Association DLAN brought him more indepedendence, self-confidence and inspiration.
The second published book, A Haptic Way of Communication with People with Deafblindness II (October 2020), is work of Simona Gerenčer Pegan, Ph.D. and people with deafblindness within the work group for development of the language of the deafblind of The Assocation DLAN and The Association of Deafblind Interpreters of Slovenia TAKTIL. A haptic way of communication is a part of the language of the deafblind based on touch. The book is enriched with an English translation and QR codes, which enable viewing of the video of the implementation of haptic signs. In November 2020 the book will also be available in Braille.
In 2020 we also published more translations into foreign languages and adapted ways of communication with people with deafblindness. The book The stories of people who listen with the heart and see with the palms: Living with Deafblindness (October 2019), which presents 14 stories of people with deafblindness, has been published in Serbian, English and Russian translation, e-format and audio record, by the end of 2020 will also be available in German, Braille and in Slovene sign language. The first part of the book A Haptic Way of Communication with People with Deafblindness will be available in Braille from November 2020.
At the Association DLAN we would like to take this opportunity to sincerily thank Lions klub Ljubljana Forum, Rotary klub Ljubljana – Barje, Ministry of Culture and FIHO, who co-financed the realeses. Special thanks to the volunteers for their excellent translation and design work. Thank you also to MDDSZ, City of Ljubljana, to all donors, the media and many organizations for a long-time support.
