[2] Deaf people in Italy use Italian Sign Language (lingua dei segni italiana, LIS).
[3] This happened because a deaf educator, Tommaso Silvestri, in 1784 brought over the French gesture system to Italy and started teaching it to children.
The deaf community in Italy lacked a form of communication and thus developed LIS through influences of French Sign Language.
[8] They are a non-profit organization founded in 1985 by Elena Radutzky, an American researcher who studied Italian Sign Language, with funding from Mason Perkins.
[9] This social promotion association was started in 2014 with the goal of "giving recognition to hearing children of deaf parents" in Italy.
The idea was to create a space where children could meet others with similar experiences between translating LIS and speaking.
[10] The organization is involved in various activities, such as gatherings where they share experiences and the management of relationships between deaf parents and children.
They promote sign language through courses and activities, along with research in collaboration with other associations and universities regarding the relationship dynamics of children of deaf adults.
Over the summer, they provide camps for deaf and hard-of-hearing CODA "to promote integration and inclusion" as well as scholarships for higher education.
[13] They aim to improve the system and practices to encourage informed choice and the empowerment of families with deaf or hard-of-hearing children.
Other member organizations have websites that provide information to families whose children are deaf or hard of hearing in their respective countries.
In the document "Info from Civil Society Organizations", the authors point out gaps in the state report as well as priorities and resolutions.
Infants who pass but have risk factors for late-onset hearing loss will be sent to level 2 centers and reassessed every 6–12 months for the first three years.
Some risk factors include family history, syndromes that are associated with hearing loss, low birth weight, and meningitis.
[36] Hearing families often want their children to attend mainstream schools that encourage cochlear implants and integration.
Deaf children born into hearing families rarely have early access to sign language, although they may acquire it later on.
[41] Children who had access to language through cochlear implants showed similar levels of behavioral problems as their normal hearing classmates.
[citation needed] Deaf children who do not take part in special programs do not have automatic access to interpreters during school.
[43][44] In order to qualify as a support teacher, there is a required number of hours of LIS training provided by the Ministry for Public Instruction.
[3] Deaf and hard-of-hearing students are also entitled to individual lesson plans and special support, such as tutoring.
[46] In return, employers are able to receive tax subsidies, wage contributions, and reimbursement for workplace adaptations.
The owner, Valeria Olivotti, wanted to create a restaurant where there are no barriers between deaf customers and workers.
[50] During the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, the deaf community was not able to access a lot of the information provided to hearing people.
[35] The Deaf community and the ENS had to lobby and fight for interpreting services in LIS for the head of the government's releases.
[36] The deaf community protested, and since then, TV channels have modified the interpreters windows, and all meetings of the Deputy's Chamber have been translated into LIS.
[36] During the lockdown in Italy, the deaf community also started using visual ICT tools to spread information to decrease the reliance on interpreting and subtitles.
[36] The spread of information during the coronavirus was due to the work of the deaf community lobbying and creating resources for each other.
A study done on a systematic review that involved a 2% sample in Italy shows the interventions that can happen in healthcare that will decrease the gap.
[50] The most essential factor in achieving equitable care for deaf people is having a sign language interpreter present.
Education programs and online health interventions were also identified as ways to spread information and reach deaf people effectively.