A series of public lectures to increase awareness of deaf culture started today organised by the Irish Deaf Society to promote Deaf Awareness Week.
The society says Irish deaf people have been overlooked in recent years despite the growing awareness nationally of minority culture.
Women's issues will be among the topics discussed at the series of talks being held at various locations throughout the Dublin, culminating in the tenth anniversary conference of the Irish Deaf Women's Group.
Also on the agenda is a talk about Irish Sign Language (ISL). The society says 5,000 people use the language yet it is not recognised by Government and consequently gets no funding for fostering and increasing its recognition.
The society this is one of the reasons the deaf are disadvantaged in society and later this week it will launch the results of a study into the link between deafness and poverty.