26th February 2004: The Bad Ischl Declaration of the ESMHD 2003 Congress.

Agreed by the 6th ESMHD European Congress on Mental Health and Deafness at Bad Ischl, Austria 24th May 2003.

The 6th ESMHD European Congress on Mental Health and Deafness welcomes the decisions of the Parliamentary Assembly and the European Parliament to recognise that Sign Languages are minority languages in Europe, and calls upon European Union Institutions, Member and Accession states, the Council of Europe and countries worldwide to legally recognise Sign Language(s), and in so doing respect the cultural diversity of the deaf community and the dignity of the individual, and promote the social inclusion of deaf people.

This Congress believes that the human right to "respect for private and family life" and "liberty and security" (particularly for people in mental distress) should include having access to health services, consultations and information in the deaf person's language of his/her choice.

This Congress calls upon the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers as well as the Council of Europe to encourage member states to recognise that health information must be made accessible in the deaf patient's own language, to enable all to fully participate in decisions related to their own health including prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

This Congress calls upon the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers as well as the Council of Europe to do all that is possible, to ensure that member states recognise that accessible communication is absolutely essential to obtaining informed consent to all forms of treatment.

Informed consent is vital in any situation when an individual may be harmed by losing his/her right to liberty if consent was not obtained in a language accessible to the deaf person, particularly in the case of voluntary or compulsory admission to psychiatric care.

This Congress calls upon each country to update their Mental Health legislation, to include mandatory requirements for appropriate and effective communication support to be provided at no expense to the patient at the time of admission or as soon as practicable thereafter within a maximum of 72 hours.

Signed on behalf of all Congress delegates,

Dr Alexis Karacostas President of ESMHD

ESMHD Executive Director Bob Clowes "Daylesford" Stokeinteignhead Devon TQ12 4QD UK

Tel/fax 00 44 1626 873332
E-mail [email protected]
Web site www.esmhd.org

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