A video course on art in sign language has been created in Odesa

The Odessa National Art Museum presented “A Sign Language Dictionary of Art.” This is the first free video course that explains more than 300 art terms in sign language and introduces new signs. Reporters from Intent attended the event.  The main goal of the initiative is to help people with hearing impairments visit museums freely and without assistance. During the project presentation, representatives of the NGO “SurdoShkola”— Alona Sinyavska and Pavlo Chasnovsky —along with the team from the Odessa Art Museum, spoke about how the idea for the “Sign Language Dictionary” originated and the lengthy process of its development. Participants in the event discussed in detail how people who are deaf perceive visual art and shared the museum’s experience working with visitors who have hearing impairments. Special attention was paid during the meeting to the challenges Ukrainian cultural institutions face on a daily basis when creating accessible and inclusive content. The video course is available for free on the Odessa Art Museum’s YouTube channel . SurdoShkola is a nonprofit organization based in Odesa that helps people with hearing impairments become included in social life and fosters a new culture of an inclusive community for the future through educational and cultural projects, including offering sign language courses that introduce anyone interested to the unique aspects and culture of the Deaf community. As Intent previously reported, writers from Odesa presented stories about children living under occupation and poetry about women. On September 19, two meetings with writers Yevheniia Genova and Zoya Kazanzhy took place at the Ukrainian Theater on Pastera Street in Odesa. The event was part of the International Literary Festival. Юлія Калабайда