• Participants, with headphones on, experience challenges encountered by the hearing-impaired people in communication and daily life

MGTO Joined Hands with Tourism Industry and Association to Co-host ‘Empathy.Silent Journey’ Workshop

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To support the Macao Special Administrative Region Government implement the scheme to optimise the accessibility of the urban environment in Macao, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) joined hands with MGM and Macau Deaf Association for the first time in organising the workshops entitled ‘Empathy.Silent Journey’, to raise the awareness of tourism industry professionals about the deaf and auditory-impaired people, through a lecture and interactive activities for participants to experience their silent world and real-life scenarios.

Two related workshops were held at MGM Cotai on 30th October. MGTO Deputy Director Cheng Wai Tong, MGTO Head of Training and Quality Management Department, Doris Leong, Vice President of Learning & Talent Management of MGM, Francis Tan, and President of Macau Deaf Association, Albert Lou, attended the workshops together with other personages.

In the workshops, the facilitators first gave an introduction of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the accessibility initiatives put into practice in Macao, so as to let participants gain deeper insights into the rights and needs of people with auditory disabilities. Through joining subsequent activities to experience the soundless world and daily life scenarios of the auditory-impaired people, participants got to experience their difficulties encountered in communication, and learn more about how various accessible facilities and assistive listening devices can help improve the life of the deaf and auditorily-impaired. During the workshops, participants also had the opportunity to practice communication with the deaf and auditorily-impaired with the sign language they learned.

Following its participation in the promotional activity ‘Empathy.Silent Journey’ in July, MGTO jointly organised these related workshops with industry partners and Macau Deaf Association to help professionals from the hotel and catering industry to grow stronger confidence in receiving individuals with auditory disabilities, in turn leading to overall enhancement of the service standard and quality in the industry. The workshops engaged 80 industry participants in total.