site.btaNearly a Century of Progress for Bulgaria's Deaf Community, but Challenges Remain

Interaction between the deaf and the hearing communities and the social integration of people with hearing impairments were in the focus of a BTA interview with Yordanka Dimitrova, Editor-in-Chief of the Tishina (Silence) newspaper of the Union of the Deaf in Bulgaria (UDB). The organization was founded 92 years ago on July 12.

"We speak completely different languages – if one is considered spoken with the lips and the other with the hands. But that doesn't mean people cannot understand one another," Dimitrova said. In her view, the progress made in integrating deaf and hard-of-hearing people in Bulgaria over the past century is undeniable. Yet prejudice and a lack of sufficient engagement from the hearing majority continue to create barriers.

According to Dimitrova, the anniversary marks a period of almost a century during which the UDB has grown and developed. "In the beginning, things were dreadful. Now there is understanding; now there are opportunities. Deaf culture is truly at a much higher level," she said.

For deaf and hard-of-hearing people, Tishina serves as a window onto the world and a source of news from within their own community. Dimitrova described the publication as "unique", explaining that it is published twice a month and covers the most important international events taking place within the World Federation of the Deaf and the European Union of the Deaf.

Despite receiving relatively little media attention, the UDB is a very active organization. It has 13 regional centres in Bulgaria's largest cities and 42 lower-level local branches. "In practice, there is almost always an organization for deaf and hard-of-hearing people somewhere in the country where they can meet, communicate, organize themselves and demonstrate what they are capable of," Dimitrova said.

She also highlighted the Union's wider activities, including a children's centre for hearing education and development, a training centre for sign language interpreters, and Bulgarian Sign Language courses. The latter have become particularly popular among younger people. Dimitrova speaks with obvious admiration for the language itself.

"To be honest, I don't know it all that well. I'm certainly not among the best, and I'm not an interpreter, but I understand it, and I absolutely love watching it. It is such a rich, beautiful language – in fact, a wonderfully concise one. Those of us who speak often need so many words to explain things... It's extraordinary."

A major milestone came in 2021 with the adoption of the Bulgarian Sign Language Act, which regulates communication between public institutions and members of the deaf community. The legislation stipulates that state institutions and local authorities are required to provide interpretation in Bulgarian Sign Language when people request or receive administrative services.

Even so, when asked about the dialogue between the community and the state, Dimitrova pointed to the familiar frustrations of bureaucracy.

"Dialogue is still far from easy. Ministries, councils, regional authorities and institutions across the country still lack understanding. Too often, they see providing assistance as an obligation rather than something they genuinely want to do. The UDB is working very hard to change that. Sofia Municipality now uses an application that allows deaf people to communicate with officials through a sign language interpreter. That's a positive step. But it isn't like that everywhere. It's fine in Sofia – but what about the rest of the country?"

Where institutions sometimes fall short, technology is beginning to bridge the gap. The latest issue of Tishina explains a new system being developed for Bulgaria's 112 emergency service that would allow emergency responders to communicate quickly and effectively with deaf callers.

For Dimitrova, however, the most important sign everyone should know is the one that means "I love you", made by extending the thumb, index finger and little finger while folding the middle and ring fingers.

"It's a sign that some people use without even realizing what it means. 'I love you.' To hear someone say 'I love you' – that's the most important sign. People should love one another. They should respect one another. For me, that's the most important sign. Others may choose a different one, but this is an extraordinary gesture. Everyone knows it. It's universal, you could say – it's the same across sign languages around the world."

The only question that gave Dimitrova pause was how to describe Bulgaria's deaf community in just three words.

"I don't know... Very beautiful, very kind, incredibly positive – talented, intellectual, truly remarkable people."

Her hesitation did not stem from a lack of words, but from the difficulty of capturing something she clearly sees as greater, better and stronger than ourselves.

"It is so important to understand these people. They are wonderful, ordinary people with all the same qualities as everyone else – and sometimes even greater ones, because they have to fight harder in life. Understanding, therefore, goes beyond language itself. It is an issue of much broader social importance," Dimitrova concludes.