TEHRAN – A sign-language training workshop for staff of tourism facilities was held in Yazd on Tuesday to promote accessible tourism in the UNESCO-listed city, organizers said.

During the event, which was hosted by the Museum of Light and Illumination, participants from various museum departments raised their communication needs in the presence of a sign-language interpreter and received training on how to interact effectively with deaf visitors, CHTN reported.

The workshop is set to be extended, in collaboration with the State Welfare Organization of Iran, to other tourism facilities and related associations in the province.

The organizers added that the initiative followed a museum tour by the Zarch Deaf Association on the International Day of the Deaf, when members visited the Museum of Light and Illumination and the Tar-o-Pud Museum, a nearby institution dedicated to the rich history of Iranian textiles, and highlighted the need for improved communication.

Accessible tourism seeks to ensure destinations and services can be used by all travelers, including people with disabilities, older adults and families with young children, by removing barriers and providing features such as ramps, audio descriptions and detailed information.

In July 2017, the historical core of Yazd, the provincial capital, was named a UNESCO World Heritage site. Yazd is regularly referred to as a delightful place to stay, or a “don’t miss” destination by almost all of its visitors. The city is full of mudbrick houses that are equipped with innovative badgirs (wind catchers), atmospheric alleyways, and many Islamic and Iranian monuments that shape its eye-catching city landscape. From the divine point of view, the city enjoys the peaceful coexistence of three religions: Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism.

AM