Krzysztof Kotyniewicz
President of the Main Board of the Polish Association of the Deaf
Office of the Main Board of the Polish Association of the Deaf – biuro@pzg.org.pl

In Poland, the pioneer of tourism for deaf people was Franciszek Ksawery Prek (1801 - 1863), who was the first deaf person to write travel descriptions in his diaries, supplemented with sketches and drawings.
The Polish Association of the Deaf is a nationwide non-governmental organization established in 1946.
Currently, the Association consists of:

• 15 provincial field branches,
• 21 clinics/centers for children and adolescents with hearing impairments,
• 240 local groups throughout the country, clinics, rehabilitation and support centers for the deaf, speech therapy points, Polish sign language centers.

Main activities of the Polish Association of the Deaf are focus on inclusion in society, education and culture, recreation and tourism.
The aim of the association is to achieve equal rights for the Deaf in social and private life with all the rights they are entitled to.
The Association organizes language courses, seminars, conferences, festivals and other activities aimed at raising awareness of the Deaf and active participation in social and public life of all people.
These activities are complemented by striving to achieve the right to use sign language, strengthening its role in communication, access to information and its rightful place in education, social and cultural life and employment.
The association's activities are aimed at children, youth, adults and seniors.
Until 1991 Sport for the deaf in Poland was one of many forms of statutory activity within the Polish Association of the Deaf.
Since 1991 Polish Association of the Deaf has been involved only in mass sports, recreation and tourism.

The beginnings of Deaf tourism in Poland

In 1950, the Polish Tourist and Landscape Society was established – Polish Tourist and Landscape Society, (PTLS)
In 1954, the first PTLS group at the Polish Association of the Deaf in Przemyśl.
Until 1996, there were approximately 60 PTLS groups operating at Polish Association of the Deaf.
During the 60 years of existence of the deaf tourist movement, the Polish Association of the Deaf has organized over 130 national events, several international events and over 1,400 local rallies and sightseeing trips, in which over 65,000 deaf people participated in total.

Deaf tourism today

There are 3 Polish Tourist and Landscape Society Clubs and 1 car club operating at Polish Association of the Deaf.

They are organized:

• tourist rallies
• canoeing
• sailing camps
• domestic and foreign trips
• fishing competition

The importance of sport, recreation and tourism

• Promoting the ability to spend free time,
• Improving health and physical fitness,
• Social integration, meeting the needs of affiliation, friendship, social contacts,
• Preventing social isolation, boredom, inactivity,
• Improving mental and physical condition, developing interests, developing passions, increasing self-esteem,
• Development of local and cultural knowledge of the region.

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