The National Center

In Italy, the cases of deafblindness are far more common than historically perceived. According to the results of a recent study, “The Italian people with vision and hearing problems” created by ISTAT, in collaboration with our association, there are approximately 190,000 individuals suffering from sight- or hearing- related problems, which amounts to 0.3% of the Italian population. The problems affect all age groups, including children. A hearing and visual impairment is often associated with developmental delays, and intellectual and physical disabilities. Although the Lega del Filo d’Oro has expanded its services throughout the country over the past 50 years, the association is facing increasingly complex needs.

On the one hand, cases with sensory disabilities are more severe than in the past, while on the other hand, individuals with these deficits have a high life expectancy and often outlive their parents.

While the Lega del Filo d’Oro has made an increasingly greater and more complex commitment to expand its services year after year, the wait times for treatment and the number of families seeking assistance have continued to grow.

In view of these considerations, the Lega del Filo d’Oro decided to undertake a project to construct a new National Center, a highly specialized facility for treating the deafblind.