According World Health Organisation, over 5% of the world’s population – or 466 million people – has disabling hearing loss (432 million adults and 34 million children). One of the major barriers for Deaf people or with hearing loss is the lack of recognition, acceptance and use of sign language in all areas of life as well as lack of respect for Deaf people’s cultural and linguistic identity. This leads to marginalization of them in different aspects of life. In fact, there are a wide range of professionals who are interacting directly with deaf people, such as health workers, civil servants or others like salesmen, waiters or tour guides which could need a specific training in basic sign language tailored to their necessities to facilitate some services and full integration of deaf collective, even as workmates, increasing their job opportunities. The intention of SWING 2.0 is following the steps of the successful SWING project and facilitate, with innovative and free own developed tools, the acquisition and use of basic sign language in different work environments where its use could enhance the integration of deaf community at different levels In order to this, this project will develop: - 5 Field study researches and reports about different professional sectors: civil servants, Health workers, waiters, salesman and tour guides; including a compilation of the 100 most typical terms in those professions - 5000 videos recorded in 5 sign languages (International Sign Language, Italian Sign Language, Spanish Sign Language, German Sign Language and Austrian Sign Language) by sign language experts in Full HD resolution - Video-dictionary platform with integration of those 5000 videos, 1000 images and 2500 terms in fingerspelling. Video-dictionary will be available in 4 spoken languages (English, Italian, German and Spanish) and 5 sign languages (IS, LIS, LSE, DGS and ÖGS) - New SWING 2.0 app developed for learning the 100 most used words in 5 sectors in 5 sign languages with the possibility of downloading the preferred content by the user. It will be included glossary, filters and digital flashcard course - Training material based on simulation real environment in order to learn sign language imitating real situations These results will be achieved in a 30-month project. These results will be totally open and free accessible to the public and the partners will ensure of that with the publication of all the material in the own project website and in different open platforms to have bigger impact The available outputs of this project will have impact and could be used mostly by VET teachers, Trainers or mentors to support people with hearing problems; hearing people working in clue job positions related with public administration, health sector, restaurant/bar, sell articles, travel/city tours; hearing-impaired and deaf people to acquire the vocabulary typical of certain services in important sectors; and researchers and developers in the field of disabilities to carry out themselves new sign language dictionaries for new areas SWING 2.0 brings together 5 partners from 4 different countries: Italy, Germany, Spain and Austria with complementary skills and with necessary background to achieve the goals of the project. The coordinator is CEIPES, International Centre for the Promotion of Education and Development (Italy) which is present in 8 European countries, and has great experience in European projects and involved in different projects promoting education of people with special needs and work integration. In addition to coordinator, the partnership is formed by: 1- Klagenfurt University (Austria) who are one of the most important exponents in Austrian Sign Language (ÖGS) and experts in designing training materials for learning sign language. 2- University of Erlangen with their Innovation in Learning Institute -ILI (Germany) who are promoting technology enhanced learning adapted to the needs of different target groups. 3- CETEM (Spain), which is a research and VET centre strongly connected with professional world and involved in several projects related with the improvement of employability of people with disability. 4-Istituto Statale Sordi di Roma (Italy)founded in 1784 and first special school for deaf people in Italy and longstanding experience in educating hearing people to the interaction with Deaf people This project will have impact at local, regional, national and European level in different job professions, employers and associations fostering the inclusion of Deaf community at different levels (social, work market…) Finally, it will be developed a strong social network in the field of promoting inclusion and development of sign language competence which will ensure the sustainability of the project results and the continuous impact on lifelong education in Europe.
By implementing the project, the objectives were to: -Raise awareness and promote the recognition, acceptance, and use of sign language in all areas of life, combating the lack of recognition and respect for the cultural and linguistic identity of deaf individuals, reducing their marginalization -Provide tailored training in basic sign language to professionals who directly interact with deaf people, improving communication and facilitating full integration in work environments -Develop innovative and freely accessible tools for acquiring and using sign language, making it user-friendly and applicable in different work settings. -Enhance job opportunities for individuals with hearing problems by improving their communication skills and fostering equal participation in the workforce, reducing disparities in employment rates -Contribute to creating a more inclusive society where individuals with hearing problems can actively participate and thrive, removing obstacles and empowering them to lead more integrated lives -The project aimed to improve recognition, acceptance, and use of sign language, facilitate communication, and enhance the integration of the deaf in various work environments, promoting their participation and inclusion
SWING 2.0 addressed different needs and challenges faced by individuals with hearing problems. The project aimed to tackle the lack of recognition, acceptance, and use of sign language in all aspects of life, as well as the marginalization and limited opportunities for the deaf people. The focus was on the communication barriers faced by people with hearing problems, as many professionals lack basic sign language skills, hindering effective interaction and leading to exclusion and limited integration. The project also aimed to address the low employment rates and underemployment of deaf people, who possess skills but face difficulties due to communication challenges. Furthermore, the importance of accessibility and inclusion was recognized, aiming to provide professionals with sign language training to enable effective communication and enhance integration in various sectors. Considering the European context, efforts aligned with the European Disability Strategy and the European Accessibility Act, which emphasized the need for regulatory measures and enhanced accessibility for individuals with disabilities. The goal was to remove obstacles and empower the deaf community, enabling them to lead more integrated and fulfilling lives.