The project had the following concrete objectives: - Promoting transnational exchanges and knowledge sharing among European and national deafblind organization - Increasing awareness about the importance of professionalism in services for deafblind sign language users - Empowering deafblind sign language users to advocate for their rights to quality services and to become trainers of deafblind professions. - Developing awareness-raising materials at the European level The envisioned results encompassed the creation of a network of European and national deafblind organizations, heightened awareness among Italian deafblind participants as well as a part of the service providers and policy makers in Italy, empowerment of deafblind sign language users in Italy, and the collaborative development of a Deafblind Professionalism Awareness Pack by partner organizations. These outcomes were designed to not only address immediate needs but also establish a foundation for ongoing advocacy and collaboration in the realm of deafblind services in Italy and beyond.
We applied for this project to address the critical needs of empowering deafblind sign language users in Italy. Recognizing them as the primary target group, our goal was to inspire and empower them to become trainers for future assistants and interpreters. The project provided role models, concrete actions nationwide, and immediate financial support, resulting in positive impacts. Increased awareness of unique needs and enhanced self-confidence were observed among deafblind sign language users in Italy. Regarding our second target group composed of service providers and policy makers, since there is a crucial need of professional service providers for deafblind sign language users in Italy, we wanted to raise awareness among interested and aspiring service providers such as deafblind interpreters and deafblind assistants on deafblind topics as well as on how to become professionals and allies of deafblind users in Italy. We addressed those needs by creative a supportive environment where deafblind sign language users could actively contribute to the development of future professionals in their country, thanks to the positive impact of role models from partner organizations in this project.