English Overview

kinderhände - mit Händen sprechen

children’s hands – talking with hands

Who we are

kinderhände is a small NGO based in Vienna that teaches Austrian Sign Language (ÖGS) to families with deaf children, children with deaf parents, hearing children or children with hearing or language impairments. This is done by offering bilingual playgroups and learning materials, and by promoting the use of ÖGS so that families can develop a common language at home. The association also offers bilingual learning materials and has developed teacher-training modules to support ÖGS use in schools.

Founded in 2006 by Andrea Rohrauer and Barbara Schuster, kinderhände follows the following vision:

Every child should get access to Austrian sign language from birth on, get the chance to acquire it as a first language, develop a deaf identity and pursue a career.

In the last decade it has grown from a two-woman-show to an established service center:

- Information center for parents with children with hearing loss (counselling), educators and interested people.

- Language and communication institute for learning Austrian Sign Language (ÖGS) for deaf and hearing kids starting at 6 months and their parents where they can network and find peers.

- Training center for educators and pedagogues.

- Publisher for bilingual learning materials with German and Austrian sign language

Our services:

Bilingual courses and playgroups

Using a bilingual team of one person who is deaf and one who can hear, kinderhände offers bilingual classes in German and OeGS to children aged from six months to 14 years and their families. Through bilingual games, songs, and other tools, children and families learn OeGS together. Both parents and children gain confidence from communicating through a shared language and benefit from Deaf peers and role models.

Counselling

Providing information on sign languages, deafness and possible support systems (our cooperation partners).

Learning materials

Developing and creating new learning materials in German and Austrian sign language for the learning experience at home, kindergarden or school.

Lernkoffer – meine ersten 100 Gebärden (my first 100 signs), postcards and poster with the fingeralphabet or children’s song book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OFOaYBgGbE