Accessibility

The commitment of the Festival to break down barriers

Each year the Festival carries out initiatives, events and activities related to the world of Accessibility.

The elimination of physical and virtual barriers is one of the objectives for which we have always worked for alongside students, associations,
organizations and show business personalities who, like us, believe in building a truly inclusive society.

Our commitment continues throughout the year all over Italy through the creation of new initiatives and awareness campaigns that explore new
accessibility paths.

This is why, during WMF19, all the speeches scheduled on the Mainstage were translated into the LIS language (Italian Sign Language).

If you wish to join us in this process, fill in the form below and collaborate with us to create new initiatives which promote accessibility.

The theme of Accessibility at the Festival

Training

Altready in the 2017 edition, a whole training room dedicated to Digital Accessibility was created due to a collaboration which started with the Francesco Cavazza Onlus Institute and with the Italian Blind and Visually Impaired Union (UICI).

Experts in the digital sector displayed ways to make the User Experience of websites and social networks truly accessible even by blind and partially sighted people. The 2018 edition also saw the creation of training interventions on the accessibility of online content for deaf people.

Finally during WMF19, all the talks scheduled on the Mainstage were translated into LIS (Italian Sign Language).

Guests, Talk and Debates

At WMF2021 we continued to talk about accessibility and inclusiveness thanks to the speeches of several guests and professionals who addressed the theme on the Festival Mainstage. The researchers of the Italian Institute of Technology, Maria Fossati and Manuel Catalano then presented the soft hand pro project, talking about inclusiveness and accessibility favored by new technologies and robotics, Gino Strada, instead, spoke about inclusive healthcare, underlining how a a profit-oriented society, especially in the medical-scientific field, cannot aim at a healthy, concrete and sustainable development.

Also in previous editions, several guests and speakers have contributed to the debate on accessibility directly on the WMF Mainstage: Ilaria Galbusera, Disability Manager who talked about accessibility for deaf people at the time of Covid-19, Consuelo Agnesi, Serena Rosario Conte interpreted the mission of the Deaf National Body in LIS (Italian Sign Language), describing the needs, good practices and technologies that can promote social inclusion.

Again, on the Mainstage of previous editions Cristina Chiabotto led the panels on the theme "accessibility - deaf"; the deaf trainer Davy Mariotti interpreted a formative and inspirational talk on the theme "Communication in the world of deafness", translated live by LIS into Italian by the interpreter Marinella Salami; in 2017 Giorgia Palmas introduced the panel on the theme "accessibility - blind" and a related debate moderated by Neri Marcorè on "Accessibility and Digital Technology". The representatives of IWA Italy, UICI and Institute for the Blinds Francesco Cavazza debated on the topic. Vincenzo La Francesca, of the Pro Blind Federation, showed the public how the Internet is, by its nature, an inclusive context, but in which a certain asociality still exists.

Show and Awards

Every year the WMF program offers award ceremonies and show moments related to the theme of accessibility.

During the three days of the 2021 edition, the professionals of RAI Accessibility interpreted all the concerts and musical performances carried out on the Festival mainsatge in LIS - Italian sign language, making every moment of the show fully accessible to all the public. Rai accessibility was subsequently awarded the WMF Award for the activities carried out in support of the accessibility of the programs and contents of the network. In 2019, Luisa Rizzo, very young champion of Drone Racing and winner of a Guinness World Record, on the Mainstage of the Festival showed the audience of her talent in piloting her own racing drone, telling her revenge against a disabling disease. The 16-year-old was awarded on stage by Diletta Leotta and Cosmano Lombardo, who presented her with the WMF Award - Zero Barriere.

The WMF19 program also offered numerous events and show moments related to the theme of accessibility. Luisa Rizzo, a young Drone Racing champion and winner of a Guinness World Record, on the Mainstage of the Festival showed the audience of her talents in piloting her own competition drone, talking of her battle against a disabling disease. The 16 year old was awarded on stage by Diletta Leotta and Cosmano Lombardo, who presented her with the WMF Award - Zero Barriere.

The Mainstage hosted the exciting performance of the group of deaf dancers "The Silent Beat" and Marco Baruffaldi, the 22-year-old rapper with Down syndrome who sang his own song against bullying.

WMF18 was also an edition full of accessibility-themed shows and awards. The musical poster of the “Generazione Infinito” festival was presented - with text and music by Marvanza Reggae Sound - which was marked in LIS by Davy Mariotti. In the 2017 edition, the finalist of Italy's Got Talent Ivan Dalia - a blind pianist of exceptional talent - gave an unprecedented performance.