Foundation of the Association
Foundation of the Association
Deaf people have always come together to
have each other's company, to consult one another and to share their opinions
on any subjects. Prior to the establishment
of the Icelandic Association of the Deaf, they often met at each other's homes and these homes then formed a kind of community. Þingholtsstræti 8 was the main meeting place for the
deaf over the years, and often people gathered in numbers of around 20 to 30
people.
On August 31st 1952, the Association of the Deaf was first founded in Iceland. Haraldur Árnasson, Martin Friðjónsson from Hafnarfjörður and Guðmundur Björnsson from Reykjavik were the founders. However, the association did not succeed very long, and only after six months, it was abolished.
In 1959, the association was again founded. Guðmundur Björnsson, Hervör Guðjónsdóttir, Mark Loftsson, and Jón Leifur Ólafsson had initiated the establishment of the association, while also Brandur Jónsson, the principal for the school of the deaf, joined the board. After several months of preparation, the founding of the association was proclaimed at the school of the deaf at Stakkholt on February 11th, 1960. A total of 33 people attended the meeting and joined the association.