Biography
André Cuenca Biography
André CUENCA was born in Saint-Cloud, Algeria, in 1955. He is French.
André has been involved for more than 25 years in European, National and local organisations of deaf and hard-of-hearing children and young people and their families. He knows very well the concerns of deaf and hard-of hearing, children and young people and their families.
André is member of the Board and the Executive Committee FEPEDA: European Federation of Parents of deaf and hard-of-hearing children, full member of EDF. He is the President of FEPEDA since April 2021. FEPEDA has the goal to promote the rights of deaf and hard-of hearing children and young people for giving the opportunity to have an independent life in which they will be able to take their own decisions.
André is also:
member of Board and Executive Committee of ANPEDA: French National Federation of Parents of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children Management Committee and Bureau since 2003.
He is Vice-President in the organisation and represents French families in European Organisation FEPEDA. He was President of ANPEDA from 2006 and 2008.
member of Board of UNANIMES: French Union of National Associations for the Inclusion of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People
This organisation groups of the various organisations of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People: adults, people using sign language, people using oral language, people becoming deaf, children and their families. ANPEDA is member of UNANIMES.
member of Board of CFHE: French Council of Disabled People for European and International Items. CFHE is member of EDF.
He is volunteer in all these organisations.
André is involved in European organisations of people with disability or linked to European topics: full member of EDF and Board member of CFHE.
André has been strongly involved in the texts relevant to the French law of 2005, for disabled people rights and specially for deaf and hard-of-hearing people. He was full member of CNCPH (National Consultative Council for Disabled People) from 2006 to 2008.
André continues to work on evolutions of the law, for education, professional life and accessibility of deaf and hard-of-hearing children and young people and their families.
He is member in the CNCPH Committee working on European and International topics relevant to people with disability.
André has two children. His son aged 38 is severely deaf. He is independent in his life, has a family life and a job in a private company.
André has a granddaughter aged 12 (the daughter of his son). She is profoundly deaf. His son and his granddaughter use, as way of communication, LSF (French Sign Language) and André knows LSF.
Due to deafness of his granddaughter, André is always aware of needs of families and children, especially in education area.
In his professional life, André was engineer in Space activities and participated to European projects and international projects, especially with USA. He has experience of European and International contexts.
André is retired since October 2019 and uses a big part of his free time to be an active member in the organisations of deaf and hard-of-hearing people and their families and more generally, for the organisations of people with disability.