Istituto dei Sordi di Torino

Since more than 200 years, the Turin Institute for the Deaf is specializing in providing a wide range of services and activities to people who are deaf, hard of hearing or deafblind, as well as to people with severe speech and language impairment or an autistic spectrum disorder accompanied by severe speech and language difficulties or cognitive developmental delay.

IST believes that every person should have his/her right to education and care attained, regardless of disability or any other factor. Therefore, we exchange our knowledge worldwide with the aim to enabling children and adults with hearing or communication difficulties to participate in society and achieve their full potential. Hereto we support and/or cooperate with organizations who provide or ameliorate accessibility to language, communication and information.

The Institute is active in the field of dual discrimination, working mainly with young people that face at least two possible reasons of weakness in the society: disabled and migrant; disabled and women; disabled with double diagnosis; disabled and unemployed.

• Services and activities:
• Adult education for deaf and hard of hearing (blind and Specific Language impairment);
• Vocational training and vocational guidance for young deaf (cooking and gardening), blind, autistic and other disabled adult students;
• Speech therapy and SLI programs and early intervention programs;
• Recognized National Provider of training for teachers; other training activities for speech therapists, nurses, educators and other professionals
• Home housing for deaf adults at risk of multiple discriminations;
• Kindergarten for Deaf and hearing children (with national ID as formal school age 2-6 years old);
• Special need teachers and educators service in mainstream schools supporting students in collaboration with the local social services and school authorities;
• Specialized library and documentation center for teachers and parents;
• Special projects for the inclusion of deaf people in the society in the view of universal accessibility, with a focus on museum and cultural institutions;
• Projects with the Universities in the fields of researches, language rehabilitation and social services; European and international projects;
• Specialized mentoring and tutoring for students with disabilities enrolled in the 3 public universities of the region;
• Language classes: Italian, English, sign languages;
• Sensorial Garden;
• Counseling to public employment services.

It is also member of the following consortiums:

• HIPEN: European Network for Professionals working with People with Hearing Impairments
• ENVITER: European Network for Vision impairment Training Education & Research
• DLEARN: European Digital Learning Network