inglese_def - DFC Fermo

Fermo Deaf Friendly City is a pilot project funded by the Marche Region and the Ministry of Disabilities and is part of the “Marche for All” plan. The goal is to create the first Italian city that is easily accessible to deaf visitors and tourists by breaking down communication barriers. The project involves three municipalities in the Marche Region: Fermo, Porto San Giorgio and Porto Sant’Elpidio. Fermo -recognized in 2018 as a UNESCO Learning City – is the ideal location for this cutting-edge tourism inclusion and mobility project. This action is perfectly in line with the goals of the UN Agenda 2030 and European policies on disability and social inclusion. The project is managed by OSSMED, a nonprofit organization that has formed a network of 15 partners: local municipalities, university institutes, associations of deaf people, sign language interpreter associations, Software House, hotelier associations, Tour Operators, Tourist Transport Companies, industrial enterprise associations, travel agencies, and managers of seaside resorts.
The project involves many connected actions. These are the main ones:

Basic sign language courses for hotels, health workers, police and public tourism offices, health service and public service workers.
A “quality label” for those businesses and public services that, in addition to studying sign language, are committed to welcoming deaf people according to “rules of good hospitality”. They will either obtain the Deaf Friendly Business label or the Deaf Friendly Service one.
Deaf Friendly Beach. A beach reserved for deaf people and hearing companions that provides assistants who speak multiple sign languages in the summer season.
Educational Tour for foreign deaf people with the purpose of introducing them to the beauty and tourist attractions of the Marche Region.
Free smartphone and tablet application called “Deaf Friendly Tourist Guide” with visual information in 4 sign languages (LIS, ASL, DGS and LSE), and subtitles in 4 spoken languages (Italian, English, German and Spanish). The application offers information on the major tourist attractions in the area and “deaf friendly” activities that are marked on a map.
Free application for hotels, B&Bs and resorts called “Deaf Friendly Communicator”. It is a visual communication program for tablets. The tablet replaces the telephone in the rooms, and it is used by deaf tourists to communicate with the receptionists. The application allows written language communication and, thanks to AI, automatically translates messages to and from the following languages: Italian, English, German, Spanish, French, Russian and Chinese. In addition, the tablet allows video calls between the reception desk and the room and alerts the guest with visual messages for wake-up service and possible alarms, such as a fire or other dangerous situations.
Tour packages that are designed for deaf tourists with support services.