Launch Ceremony of the Power in Our Hands – The Greater Bay Area Sign Language Community Outreach eLearning Program
The “Power in Our Hands – The Greater Bay Area Sign Language Community Outreach eLearning Program” was launched today (29 November). Members of the travel trade can start learning online through the link at Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO)’s Macao Tourism Industry Net, leveraging the convenient e-platform to enhance their basic knowledge of sign language for daily conversations, and learn more about cultural tourism of Macao and the Greater Bay Area. Learners can become better equipped for efficient communication with hearing-impaired individuals, in turn contributing to the betterment of Macao as an accessible tourism destination.
Sign Language eLearning Program is enriched with cultural tourism info of the Greater Bay Area
In 2019, MGTO partnered with MGM and Macau Deaf Association in co-launching the "Power in Our Hands – The Macao Sign Language eLearning Program". To date, the click-through rate has exceeded 13,000, representing the popularity of the program.
In sync with the aim to foster cultural and tourism integration as advocated by the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, MGTO joins hands with MGM and Macau Deaf Association once again to launch the “Power in Our Hands – The Greater Bay Area Sign Language Community Outreach eLearning Program” for travel industry personnel. The new eLearning Program (referred to as the “Program”) was created in collaboration with Guangdong Deaf Association, which was invited to contribute to enrichment of the previous sign language program. Industry personnel can access this new e-learning resource through the direct link on Macao Tourism Industry Net (https://industry.macaotourism.gov.mo). The Program is expanded to elaborate on not just cultural tourism of the Greater Bay Area but also the basic knowledge of Macau Sign Language and Chinese National Sign Language. The Program seeks to enhance the communication skills of industry personnel with hearing-impaired individuals in the Greater Bay Area and steer the Greater Bay Area towards greater accessibility as a travel destination for all.
Organize the Symposium with industry partner to promote accessible tourism
The Symposium on Accessible Tourism for All was held at MGM Cotai today (29 November) in tandem with the launch of the Program. Five experts and scholars were invited to share their perspectives, offering industry participants insights into an analysis of the current situation, corporate practice, industry trend and development outlook of accessible tourism.
Moderated by Senior Project Executive of Macau Deaf Association, Cherry Leong, the Symposium featured five guest speakers including Secretary General of Guangdong Accessibility Promotion Association and Vice Chairman of Guangdong Association of the Blind, Chen Yang; Deputy Vice President – Asia Pacific of Rehabilitation International, Joseph Kwan (virtual presence); Assistant Professor of Macao Institute for Tourism Studies, Penny Wan; Assistant Professor of Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Macau University of Science and Technology, Vincent Cheng; and Assistant Professor of Faculty of International Tourism and Management at City University of Macau, Esther Kou.
In speaking at the Launch Ceremony of the “Power in Our Hands – The Greater Bay Area Sign Language Community Outreach eLearning Program” and the Symposium on Accessible Tourism for All, MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes expressed that in parallel with the Macao SAR Government’s work of building Macao into a barrier-free city, MGTO strives to optimize accessible tourism services. By launching the eLearning Program and organizing the Symposium, the Office hopes to raise industry professionals’ awareness of accessible tourism and lead to quality enhancement of tourism services in Macao.
The Launch Ceremony of the “Power in Our Hands – The Greater Bay Area Sign Language Community Outreach eLearning Program” and the Symposium on Accessible Tourism for All were jointly organized by MGTO, MGM, Macau Deaf Association and Guangdong Deaf Association with the support of the following entities: Macao Institute for Tourism Studies, City University of Macau, Macau University of Science and Technology, and Guangdong Province Sign Language Association. MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; Deputy Director General of Social Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, Zhao Heqing; Executive Vice President of Human Resources of MGM, Wendy Yu; Secretary General of Guangdong Accessibility Promotion Association and Vice Chairman of Guangdong Association of the Blind, Chen Yang; President of Macao Institute for Tourism Studies, Fanny Vong; Head of Division of Studies and Information Analysis of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, Tou Chi Iau; Dean of Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Macau University of Science and Technology, Ben Goh; Executive Associate Dean of Faculty of International Tourism and Management at City University of Macau, Li Xi, and President of Macau Deaf Association, Sam Wong, attended the Launch Ceremony and the Symposium among other guests.
For pandemic prevention, the Seminar required all participants of the Launch Ceremony and Symposium to wear masks, have their temperature checked and present their Macao Health Code of the day. Pandemic prevention measures were adopted with corresponding arrangements in accord with pertinent guidelines issued by Health Bureau.
MGTO has been making strenuous efforts to optimize its own accessible tourism facilities and service quality to cater for the needs of different individuals. The Office not just organized and supported various training initiatives, seminars and online courses over the years, but also successively equipped some of its online learning videos with sign language interpretation from this year on. In addition, the Office produced and refined the Barrier-Free Access Guide continuously while the Macao Grand Prix Museum was remodeled to feature a range of barrier-free facilities with an emphasis on enhancement of accessibility for all visitors including people with special needs. The above endeavors were made to support the Macao SAR Government’s advocacy for inclusion and development of barrier-free communities for all.
