Free of appointment: Deaf citizens: Inside in Wilmersdorf, support!

Free of appointment: Deaf citizens: Inside in Wilmersdorf, support!

Wilmersdorfer Straße 46, 10627 Berlin, Deutschland - On June 27, 2025, an appointment free of office for deaf people will again be offered at the Wilmersdorfer Straße 46 Citizens' Office in Berlin. This measure aims to facilitate the use of administrative services for deaf citizens: inside. The next consultation time will take place on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, from 11.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. From 12.30 p.m. a sign language interpreter will be on site to support communication.

District Councilor Heike Schmitt-Melz emphasizes the importance of this offer for the inclusive participation. She emphasizes that equal access to services of the citizens' offices for all citizens: inside is a central task. The continued consultation time helps to expand barrier -free communication in the district.

The role of sign language

In Germany, around 200,000 people use the German sign language (DGS), which sees itself as an independent and complex language. Around 80,000 of them are deaf. DGS uses hand shapes, mouth images, facial expressions and non-manual signs to be communicated and fundamentally differs from the German speaker. This language was legally recognized in 2002 and is a fundamental element of the German sign language community.

The DGS is widespread in various regional dialects, comparable to the dialects of the spoken German language. Due to this diverse dialects and the fact that many deaf Germans do not have as a first language, the written language is similar to them like a foreign language, which often leads to difficulty understanding. Subtitles in videos often do not reproduce all the relevant information, which makes the communication situation even more difficult.

rights and barriers

As early as 2001, the use of sign language in the social service was recognized. According to Section 17 (2) SGB I, people with hearing impairments have the right to use sign language in all matters that affect them, such as social benefits or medical examinations. The expenses for sign language interpreters must also be taken over by the responsible authorities.

To promote accessibility, measures such as the barrier-free information technology regulation (BITV 2.0) have been issued, which also sets requirements for the design of public websites with regard to the provision of information in DGS and easy language. In addition to these legal requirements, the German Deaf Association is actively involved in improving the presentation of sign language in public media and videos.

With the continued consultation time in the citizens' office and the supportive measures, an important step is taken towards an inclusive society that takes the needs of deaf citizens seriously and actively promotes.

For more information about sign language and their importance, visit the pages of the Barrier Freedom href = "https://gehoerlosenbund.de/service/ratgeber-gehoerlosch/deutschegegebaerden language/"> German Deaf-Bunde .