17. Dünya İşitme Engelliler Federasyonu Kongresi

Dear Distinguished Participants, Dear Friends I, the President of the Turkish National Federation of the Deaf and Chairman of the Organising Committee for the XVII World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf, greet you all with love and respect. We, the Turkish National Federation of the Deaf, are working for the XVII World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf in cooperation with the World Federation of the Deaf and the support from Turkish Ministry of Family and Social Policies. As you all know, the World Congress is very important for the deaf community. "Strengthening the Human Diversity" is the main theme for the congress and we are trying to cover many important subjects within the scientific program. In this context, there will be sessions and presentations related to human rights, sign language and deaf culture, deaf education, accessibility and technology and health. We are aware of that the troubles, which are faced by the deaf community in Turkey and world, are similar. We expect a great participation from 133 WFD member countries in order to discuss all of them, know each other better, share our experiences and to contribute our lives positively. Istanbul is a city having 8.000 year history and different cultures. For the first time, the XVII World Deaf Congress will be held in two continents at the same time throughout Istanbul's unique location. We know that when you attend the congress and live Istanbul with us, you will remember this beautiful city for a long time. The participants may come from at least 70 countries at 4 hour flying distance to Istanbul. Besides, we have many transportion options such as boat, subway, bus, taxi as the local transportation. I hope that the deaf participants from all over the world will also be very glad to see Istanbul. You may access to the detailed information related to the program, participation fees, hotels, congress center and Istanbul in our web page. I expect your participation in the XVII World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf in Istanbul between 28 July – 2 August 2015, and thank you in advance for your interest and support. Let's meet where the continents meet! Ercüment Tanrıverdi President of the Turkish National Federation of the Deaf (TNFD) Chairman of the Organization Committee for the XVII World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf