About the project
Project summary
SIGNS aims to strengthen the social wellbeing of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) youth through citizen social science (CSS) actions that empower DHH youth as agents of change within and beyond their communities.
The project focuses on:
• enhancing understanding of barriers and opportunities for DHH youth’s social wellbeing through upskilling and learning resources on CSS;
• fostering collaborations between DHH and hearing youth to advocate for inclusive youth policies and DHH-oriented solutions.
SIGNS involves DHH and hearing youth, youth workers, educators and organisations from Poland, Greece, Ukraine and Slovakia. The project includes 27 activities structured in four work packages (WPs), ranging from needs mapping and capacity building to hands-on CSS experimentations and policy outreach.
By the end of the project, we expect to:
• generate new knowledge on DHH youth’s social needs;
• provide accessible training materials and tools on CSS;
• implement youth-led CSS experimentations;
• produce policy recommendations and outreach actions that support long-term improvement of DHH youth’s wellbeing.
Objectives
- Strengthen the social wellbeing of DHH youth by engaging them in citizen social science actions.
- Enhance understanding of barriers and opportunities for DHH youth’s social wellbeing through CSS-based mapping activities.
- Upskill DHH youth educators and organisations through learning resources and targeted training.
- Foster collaborations between DHH and hearing youth to promote inclusive youth policies and DHH-oriented solutions.
- Ensure long-term impact through policy outreach, dissemination and sustainability activities.
Our Methodology
SIGNS uses citizen social science (CSS) as its core methodology. This means that Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) and hearing youth are not only participants, but also co-researchers who help define the questions, collect data, and interpret the results. Our approach is based on participation and co-creation with DHH youth, the use of inclusive and accessible formats such as sign languages, captions and easy-to-understand materials, collaboration across countries and cultures, and a strong focus on real social needs and policy relevance.