“Hands to Discover” is a unique project in Portugal and in Europe and is directed exclusively at deaf people (estimated to be around 70 million worldwide) and their families.
Allowing the deaf community to have access to universal rights such as travelling, discovering heritage, culture, and leisure, with no barriers to accessibility in physical spaces, in information or communication: that is the main objective of CTILG – Serviços de Tradução e Interpretação de Língua Gestual, Lda (Sign Language Translation and Interpretation Services) through its innovative Hands to Discover platform.
Founded in 2005, the company has developed its activity in the area of translation, research, dissemination, and development of materials related to sign language and the deaf community. In 2013, our company was awarded the Accessibility and Mobility for All Merit Diploma, recognized as one of the 50 best practices in promoting universal accessibility in Portugal.
In the words of Ana Bela Baltazar, managing partner of the company “all people, regardless of age or degree of (dis)ability, should be able to participate in tourist experiences in an egalitarian manner”.
The platform grants access to national culture, history, heritage, and gastronomy, and is now available in three languages (Portuguese, French, and English). It privileges the visual part, the movement, and iconicity.
In a nutshell, Hands to Discover works to make travel planning, site information, scheduling visits or choosing points of interest in a “perfectly autonomous and integrated situation like any other citizen traveling the world”, says Ana Bela Baltazar.
The CTILG is currently developing partnerships in the areas of hotel management, catering, and tourism in general, and is actively pursuing new partners.
Traveling to Portugal is, therefore, easier, with the following services:
- PLANNING LEISURE OR BUSINESS TRAVEL EASILY AND FAST;
- INFORMATION ABOUT LOCATIONS;
- SCHEDULING VISITS;
- CHOOSING POINTS OF INTEREST;
- GET A CERTIFIED SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER TO GO WITH YOU.
CTILG, A COMPANY DEDICATED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE DEAF COMMUNITY.
Get to know this unique service in Portugal and in Europe.
AN ACCESSIBLE DIGITAL PLATFORM
In addition to very brief and objective written information, there’s a strong, iconic, and compelling visual component.