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1922: Sveriges Dövas Riksförbund (SDR), Swedish National Association of the Deaf

SDR was formed on February 26, 1922.

Before the formation of SDR, there was the Deaf-Mute Association in Stockholm, which was formed in 1868 by three founders. These were Ossian Edmund Borg (1812-1892), a member and son of the founder of Sweden's first school for the deaf, Per Aron Borg (1776-1839) - Albert Berg, deaf (1832-1916) - Fritiof Carlbom, deaf (1835-1890).

The Association for the Deaf and Dumb included deaf members from many different places throughout Sweden. Therefore, the Association for the Deaf and Dumb was considered a national organization in Sweden. The Deaf and Dumb Association functioned as well as a national association as a sickness and funeral fund for the deaf in the country.

But at the end of the 1890s, members of the countryside began to protest against the Stockholm dominance in the association and against the members who lived in Stockholm receiving a larger exchange of the membership fee because they could meet more often. (..)

In 1919, the Gothenburg Deaf Association took the initiative for a new discussion about the formation of a "national association". Eventually, it came to the conclusion that the Swedish Association of the Deaf and Dumb was formed on February 26, 1922 by 14 representatives from the deaf associations.

Dan Andersson (1885-1963), deaf and from Gothenburg was elected chairman. he Swedish Association of the Deaf and Dumb functioned as a central organization of deaf associations.

The purpose of the association was to promote the interests of the deaf, to provide advice and information to affiliated associations and individual deaf people regarding their affairs, applications to authorities, to support the establishment of retirement homes for the deaf, to spread knowledge about deaf conditions, to assist in the formation of local deaf associations. to safeguard the interests of the deaf with authorities in relevant investigations and proposals and to promote higher education for the deaf.

In 1950, the name of the Swedish Association of the Deaf and Dumb was changed to the Swedish National Association of the Deaf. SDR was one of the founders of the Nordic Council of the Deaf, which was formed in 1907.

Source: http://www.sdr.org/

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