Personnel
For a decade the Flemish Sign Language Centre relied solely on volunteers. However, thanks to recognition by the Flemish government we have employed 2 half-time staff members since September 2008. Up to the end of June 2010, these were Mieke Van Braeckevelt and Isabelle Heyerick. On 01 October 2010 Eveline Huys became Isabelle's new colleague.
Among our staff-members' foremost tasks are:
- conducting research on the grammar of Flemish sign language
- reporting on the results of that research in video and other reports, lectures...
- acting as information centre for the Flemish Sign Language Centre.
Volunteers
For more than a decade, the VGTC relied on volunteers, i.e. members of the Flemish deaf community, persons working for services or organisations targeting the deaf, the hard of hearing and the deaf community and linguists with experience in sign language research. They met to hold discussions and develop joint projects. These initiatives were aimed mainly – but not exclusively – at teaching and doing research on Flemish sign language.
The VGTC now consists of three parts:
- The Board of Directors (BoD)
- The General Meeting (GM)
- The Working Group (WG)
The VGTC differentiates between full and probationary members. People wanting to join the VGTC contact a member of VGTC's board. He/She then becomes a probationary member and is automatically a member of the working group. Six months later, the GM decides whether the new member may become a full member. Probationary members belong only to the working group. Full members are part of the general meeting.