Supporting the Macao Special Administrative Region Government in implementing the scheme to optimize 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 organizing the workshops entitled “Empathy‧Silent Journey”, to raise the awareness of tourism industry professionals about the deaf and auditorily-impaired, through the lecture and interactive activities for participants to experience their silent world and real-life scenarios.
The two workshops were held at MGM Cotai today (30 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.
Following its participation in the promotional activity “Empathy‧Silent Journey” in July, MGTO jointly organized these similar workshops with an industry partner and Macau Deaf Association to help hotel and catering industry professionals grow stronger confidence in attending to 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.
The “Empathy‧Silent Journey” workshops aim to encourage everyone, hearing-impaired and able-bodied, to join hands in building a more accessible and inclusive society. Giving an introduction of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the accessibility initiatives put into practice in Macao, the facilitators enabled participants to 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 auditorily-impaired, 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.
Moving forward with great momentum to become a world centre of tourism and leisure, the city welcomes visitors from a growing spectrum of international markets nowadays, which leads to an increasing demand for accessible environment in Macao. MGTO hence actively organizes pertinent training programs for MGTO staffers and tourism industry personnel. Besides offering the internal training session titled “Communication with people with disabilities” and participating in the promotional activity “Empathy‧Silent Journey”, the Office also joined an industry partner in organizing the seminar on “Effective communication with persons with disabilities towards a barrier-free environment” for tourism industry professionals earlier this year, in tandem with their co-launch of an e-learning programme about sign language, among other training initiatives. The above were carried out to optimize the services for people with different special needs in the city, and partner with the travel trade in creating optimal and accessible tourism and work environments inclusive for the disabled and able-bodied.
