This year, Palermo had the honour of hosting for the first time the International Week of the Deaf People, an event actively supported by CEIPES, coordinated with the “Ente Nazionale per la Protezione delle Persone Sorde (ENS)”.
The International Week of the Deaf is an initiative first launched by the Federation of the Deaf, of which ENS has been a founding member since 1958. Since then, the event has been held annually, mobilising people from all over the world to fight for the rights and inclusion of more than 70 million deaf people.
During the three-day celebration, from 21-23 September, various events, initiatives and conventions were organised to raise awareness about deafness, sign language and the importance of equal rights and opportunities for deaf people.
The programme started on 21 September with an opening conference reserved for local authorities. The following day, 22 September, a conference was held at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Palermo (UNIPA), where the addition of a future degree in “Translation and interpreting” incorporating sign language was announced.
The convention was attended by leading figures from the deaf community, such as David Buxton, member of the European Deaf Union, and Joseph J. Murray, President of the World Federation of the Deaf, among other experts. These speakers addressed various social realities from the perspective of deaf people, including education in schools and universities, sport, the situation of the elderly, the arts and legislation related to deaf people.
On the same evening, the “Happy LIS” event was held in Villa Filipina, where about 700 people gathered to enjoy a special evening with a show “Music through colours”.
Unfortunately, on Saturday 22nd, due to adverse weather conditions, the parade that was planned as part of the visibility activities in the city centre, it couldn’t go as planned. Fortunately, however, it was possible to carry out the illumination of the Teatro Massimo and the show “We and Art Live”, thus marking the closing of the International Week of the Deaf.
For CEIPES, it has been a privilege to participate in this event, as day by day it contributes with dedication to the cause of inclusion of this group, carrying out various European projects in this direction. Visiting the portfolio of our website you can find more information about them.
