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A week to pay attention to

In September, the International Week of Deaf People is celebrated around the world. "A world where deaf people can use their sign language everywhere!" is the theme chosen for this year that will accompany us from September 18 to 24. There are about 300 sign languages in the world, and states very slowly recognized and made them their own. In Europe, Portugal started in 1997, while Italy recognizes, promotes and protects Italian sign language (LIS) and Italian tactile sign language (LIST) with a law only since 2021.

In 2017, the United Nations General Assembly chose September 23 as the day to remember, recognize and promote sign languages.

This year, in Italy, the national event and a three-day conference will be held in Palermo.

Therefore, one of the goals we must set is bilingualism, something has been done: but it is too little. Without ever forgetting the commitment to prevention, following the World Health Organization's guidelines. Worldwide, more than 5 percent of the population suffers from hearing disorders of varying degrees that severely affect their quality of life, while there are more than 70 million deaf people.

Another commitment we need to make is prenatal screenings to address hearing issues in children.

In some areas of the world the situation is particularly severe. In the Palestinian Authority Territories, for example, 3 percent of the Palestinian population has hearing problems, one of the highest rates in the world. Studies have shown, especially in Bethlehem, thanks to the Effetà Institute, that deafness in children is attributable to genetic inheritance, caused by intermarriage.

The John Paul II Foundation has decided to make a commitment every day of the year to support hearing-impaired boys and girls with a project, "Let's Feel Good," funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, which aims to help those born in the Middle East get early diagnosis and treatment to enable them to fit into the community, school, and workforce.

The project, started in Bethlehem, collaborating with Effetà, recently expanded to Jordan, in the cities of Irbid, Al-Kourah, Tafila, Aqaba, Kerak, Ruseifa, Amman, Salt.

 

Renato Burigana