Lega del Filo d'Oro

Most people take it for granted that they can use words and images to communicate, but for some individuals, this is not possible. There are thousands of children, teenagers, and adults who have never seen the faces or heard the voices of their loved ones. They are the deafblind: people who have severe visual and hearing impairment. For almost 60 years, the Lega del Filo d'Oro (LFO) has been helping the deafblind to overcome the isolation in which they live. Using highly specialized treatments, the LFO offers every patient a personalized rehabilitation program to develop different skills to communicate and relate with others. LFO's mission is to: "assist, educate, and train the deafblind, empowering them to lead full and productive lives in society." To do so, the LFO creates specialized structures, trains skilled professionals, conducts research and experimentation in the field of deafblindness, promotes relationships with Italian and foreign organizations, institutions, and universities, and raises public awareness about these disabilities. In Italy, the LFO is the benchmark organization for the deafblind and multisensory impaired, and it has a presence in ten regions. The LFO operates residential centers in the cities of Osimo, Lesmo, Modena, Molfetta and Termini Imerese, and it has offices in Padua, Rome, Naples, Pisa and Novara providing the local communities with outpatient services. To reduce the waiting list for those who need help, a highly specialized new headquarters is under construction in Osimo which will expand the capacity of the Diagnostic Center and bring together all the services previously housed in 15 different buildings.