Parliament, but the committee can also formulate advises autonomously. Knowledge and information centre The decree arranges the recognition of a knowledge and information centre which has to: coordinate and stimulate linguistic research, support the further development of VGT, develop educational tools for use in teaching VGT and be the first point of contact. Belgium ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) on 2 July 2009. Flemish Deaf Parliament In 2013–2014, Ghent University and Fevlado organized a series of town halls for the Flemish deaf community. Dr. Goedele A. M. De Clerck, a Flemish scholar specializing in deaf culture, helped facilitate this initiative and published an academic article summarizing the experience. The G1000 democratic participation initiative/think tank in Belgium guided the methodology of integration employed by the Flemish Deaf Parliament. In the G1000, members of different language groups were put in the same room to assess feelings towards the other group, and observe how discussion between the groups changed these feelings. The Flemish Deaf Parliament was meant to involve the deaf community in decision making and Flemish life. The discussions spanned a wide variety of topics, including increased access to information for the Flemish deaf population, means of increasing political participation, the cultural and sociolinguistic history of the Flemish deaf population, and the continuation of a Flemish deaf community. Education and career opportunities were discussed, including access to lifelong education, increasing social mobility for DHH people, and effective support for students through the transition from deaf schools to mainstreaming. The need for more interaction between age groups in the deaf community, particularly to provide role models; assisted transitions between stages of life; and improvement of elder care were also discussed. A focus on deaf empowerment and learning from other deaf communities around the world was also present. Currently, many of these needs are met by deaf clubs throughout Flanders. To name a few, Nowedo in Bruges, De Haerne Club in Kortrijk, Madosa in Antwerp, Piramime in Turnhout, and Limburgia in Hasselt all provide access to resources and socialization for the Flemish deaf community. Usage Since December 2012, the VRT news broadcast is available in the Flemish Sign Language. The Flemish Parliament had sign language interpreters for the parliamentary debates while Helga Stevens, who is deaf, was member of the parliament. Infant hearing screenings were first widely implemented in Flanders in 1998. As of 2019, approximately