In solidarity with Ukraine
On 1 March 2022 - days after the war began - we launched free Ukrainian Sign Language interpreting for Deaf refugees. We rebuilt our system, hired Ukrainian interpreters and answered calls 24/7.
How we helped
Ukrainian Sign Language differs from Polish - so we hired interpreters from Ukraine, working from Ivano-Frankivsk, Góra Kalwaria, Gubin and Warsaw, among others. They accompanied Deaf refugees at border crossings, in hospitals, public offices and schools - and were remotely present at more than thirty births.
Olena Zelenska, First Lady of Ukraine, announced the tlumacz.migam.org/ukraina service on her official channel. It was used by Deaf Ukrainians in Poland, as well as those who reached Sweden, Norway, Italy, the Netherlands, Czechia and Germany.
We first funded the service from our own resources, then were supported by BNP Paribas and Credit Agricole banks, and later by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) - a global humanitarian organization thanks to which interpreting ran around the clock.
After IRC funding ended (January 2024), we could not cover the cost of the service on our own. The Ukrainian community has petitioned Poland's Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy to reactivate it. We are ready to resume interpreting - and looking for a funding partner.