Out of nearly 59 million people in Italy, about 3.5 million Italians have some form of hearing loss. Among them, around 70,000 people are severely deaf. The European Union for the Deaf reports that the majority of the deaf people in Italy use Italian Sign Language (LIS). LIS has been an official sign language in Italy since 2021. Italy, among other countries, ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and is slowly improving conditions for deaf humans in Italy. Many major organizations in Italy fight for deaf rights and spread awareness to the Italian National Agency for the protection and assistance of the Deaf (ENS, ) and Associated Italian Families for the Defense of the Rights of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals (FIADDA). Newborns in Italy also receive universal hearing screenings. Education in Italy is directed towards oralism, although sign language is also used. LIS is a stable language and is used by approximately 40,000 users in Italy.EUD: Italy

Language emergence Deaf people in Italy use Italian Sign Language (, LIS). Other common terms used for Italian Sign Language include (language of the gestures) and (language of the deaf). LIS is influenced by and shares similarities with French Sign Language. This happened because a deaf educator, Tommaso Silvestri, in 1784 brought over the French gesture system to Italy and started teaching it to children.

Italian Sign Language came to be through convergence. The deaf community in Italy lacked a form of communication and thus developed LIS through influences of French Sign Language. LIS can be quite different in various parts of Italy. For example, the signing of "shoes" is different regionally and sometimes can be traced to a certain school. In particular, one school, "Guilio Tarra" that was famous for its oralist education, signed "shoes" in a unique way "likely as the result of speech therapy sessions held at the school". LIS is best characterized as a deaf-community sign language, as mostly only deaf people in Italy know it.

Significant organizations

Italian National Agency for the Deaf

The Italian National Agency for the protection and assistance of the Deaf (ENS, ) was the result of the unification of the Federazione Italiana delle Associazioni per i Sordomuti (FIAS) and the Union Sordomuti Italiani (USI), established in 1932. They are a part of the World Federation of the Deaf and the European Union of the Deaf. ENS operates with "103 provincial Sections, 21 Regional Councils and over 50 inter-municipal representations"."ENS". Ente Nazionale Sordi ONLUS (in Italian). Retrieved 2022-09-25.

ENS was started by Antonio Magarotto. His son, Cesare Magarotto, created the World Federation of the Deaf. Antonio Magarotto was born in Italy and became deaf at three years old due to meningitis. He studied at the Piarist Fathers' T. Pendola Institute for the Deaf. In 1932, Magaarotto and his friends formed the Italian National Agency for the Deaf, where he served as president from 1932 to 1950. During his lifetime, he devoted himself to becoming a voice for deaf students. He also founded in Padua the First National Institute of Middle and Higher Education for the Deaf. Magarotto also received an honorary doctorate in humanities from the Gallaudet University of Washington.

The members can vote and have governance roles. ENS also plans cultural and sporting activities and events for all members. The local branches hold sign language courses. They also have training for interpreters in bigger cities as well as job-finding aid. ENS is active on several social media platforms and also posts articles regarding their activity, such as "ENS at the Congress of the Italian Linguistics Society".

Overall, ENS plays a big role in the deaf community by "promoting the integration of deaf people into society" as well as focusing on areas "such as legislation, education and employment."

Mason Perkins Deafness Fund

This organization fights to create a positive environment for deaf and deaf-blind children in Italy by promoting LIS and deaf culture. 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. MPDF creates and provides cultural events, educational material such as children's books in LIS, training, and networking events. This organization directed the Dictionary of Italian Sign Language (1992) and also broadened educational opportunities for Italian deaf students through scholarships.

Associated Italian Families for the Defense of the Rights of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals (FIADDA)

The association was started on May 6, 1991, and changed names over the years. The parents in this association focus on oralism for their deaf children as one of their fundamental values. They highly encourage integration through oralism because "a verbal language is much more useful and functional for the deaf person". They believe that sign language is not an official language and, because of its variety in nature, should be a second choice as compared to oralism. They also provide support for families with hard-of-hearing individuals. They do so by creating seminars and courses for schools focused on how to teach rehabilitation oralism. The organization focuses on accessibility for deaf individuals in terms of having oralism resources and subtitles in media.

CODA (Children of Deaf Adults) Social Promotion Association

This social promotion association was started in 2014 with the goal of "giving recognition to hearing children of deaf parents" in Italy. The international CODA organization was started in 1983 by Millie Brother, a graduate of Gallaudet University and also a hearing CODA, in America. The idea was to create a space where children could meet others with similar experiences between translating LIS and speaking. Non-Codas are also welcome to join as supporting members but cannot be voting members.

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. Overall, the CODA association aims to share and explore their "bilingual-bicultural heritage".

GPODHH (Global Coalition of Parents of Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing)

The Global Coalition of Parents of Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing was formed in 2008 in Como, Italy, at the NHS 2008: Beyond Newborn Hearing Screening Conference by a small group of parents from the United States, Australia, and Italy. They aim to improve the system and practices to encourage informed choice and the empowerment of families with deaf or hard-of-hearing children. There are several member organizations, one of them being Dai Genitori ai Genitori in Italy. The association in Italy is mainly a blog page that was last updated in 2015. Other member organizations have websites that provide information to families whose children are deaf or hard of hearing in their respective countries. GPODHH provides the perspective of parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing at a number of international forums, including the World Hearing Forum and CIICA, and is a member of the Advisory Committee reviewing and updating "Best Practices in Family-Centred Early Intervention for Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: An International Consensus Statement".

Human/Civil rights Official recognition of LIS

Italian Sign Language was officially recognized by the Italian parliament on May 19, 2021, as part of a coronavirus relief bill that recognized, promoted, and would protect LIS and LISt (Italian Tactile Sign Language). This meant the official acknowledgement of LIS interpreters as professions and the spread of LIS in government offices.

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an agreement between countries and the United Nations to protect the rights of persons with disabilities. Italy ratified the CRPD on 15 May. Italy is also signed up for an optional protocol, meaning it will create a structure for accountability to happen. Each country has to submit a report regarding how they are implementing the rights in the CRPD policy document. The UN will create a "list of issues" with civilian input that will be sent to Italy, which Italy wil respond to in the state party report. In the document "Info from Civil Society Organizations", the authors point out gaps in the state report as well as priorities and resolutions. This document was made by several organizations that fight for disability rights, including ENS, and is part of the CRPD documents.

The first and last CRPD report submitted by Italy was one 21 January 2013, and it was due on 15 June 2011.UN (United Nations)(2013) State Party's Report CRPD/C/ITA/1. https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G15/044/22/PDF/G1504422.pdf?OpenElement (accessed Oct 2022) Within the state report, Italy states in regard to DDH rights that they have acknowledged and promoted sign language in law 104/92, along with professional training of support teachers. However, the formal recognition of LIS is currently still in process (a report was submitted prior to the official recognition of LIS in 2021).

World Federation of the Deaf

The World Federation of the Deaf lists on its website important CRPD articles for DHH individuals. It also lists goals that are important in order to increase human rights for deaf people.

Mentions in the state report specifically regarding deaf rights include:

Article 21.b of the CPRD was acknowledged through Article 21 of the Constitution, which gives freedom of expression "through oral words, written texts or any other instrument". The state report does mention that Law 244/07 has extended the exemption of payment of license tax on mobile phones to deaf people. They also state that "full participation of deaf people in social life" is still in discussion in Parliament. As regards having "reasonable accommodation in the workplace" the report says that although legally there is no obligation to have reasonable accommodations in Italy, Article 2 of Law 68/99 talks about issues regarding work environment and relations and "therefore can be considered as a form of reasonable accommodation".

CRPD Articles and Goals that were not mentioned in the state report:

Article 2: makes it clear that sign language is equal in status to spoken language. 24.1: Requires the government to ensure an inclusive education system at all levels. 24.4: Requires teachers of deaf children to be qualified in sign language. Goal 4.5: eliminate gender disparities. Goal 11.2, 11.7: providing accessible transport and universal access to safe spaces.

Points made in regard to deaf rights from "Info from Civil Society Organizations":

Lack of provision of reasonable accommodation in other areas of life other than employment. Make the qualifications of school staff include students with disabilities; persons with disabilities have a lower level of education compared to the general public. Article 24, Education: The state report does not mention if accessibility requirements are in schools of any level, how quality of education is assessed, how continuity of teaching is ensured, or how enrollment of teachers with disabilities is promoted, not only allowed. Data collection on deaf people is through telephone interviews, which will cause data to be undermined.

Milan conference