Fondazione Istituto dei Sordi di Torino - Onlus

What Fondazione Istituto dei Sordi di Torino - Onlus does

Fondazione Istituto dei Sordi di Torino - Onlus is a nonprofit foundation (Fondazione senza scopo di lucro / Onlus / Ente di Terzo Settore) headquartered in Pianezza, near Turin, Italy. Founded in 1814 as the Regio Istituto dei Sordi di Torino, it is one of the oldest deaf education institutions in Europe and has operated continuously for over two centuries. The foundation serves deaf individuals, their families, educators, and Italian cultural institutions through seven specialized departments: Educational Services, Day and Residential Services, Training, Research and Development, Logopedia (speech therapy), Academy, and the Cultural Institute (which includes the Biblioteca specializzata sulla sordità and the Museo Paolo Basso).

Its core products and technology center on Italian Sign Language (LIS) accessibility. The ISTv platform delivers television-style content entirely in LIS across six channels (News, Culture, Kids, SordX, Sport, Verde), featuring real-time signing by deaf presenters with synchronized visual aids. The Academy delivers adult education in LIS using Universal Design for Learning, combining classroom, e-learning, gamification, and simulations. The Centro Audiologopedico provides clinical evaluation and treatment for communication and language disorders, with over 2,000 documented cases since 2001. Supporting assets include a specialized library holding 100+ periodical titles and a historical archive documenting two centuries of deaf education.

The foundation's revenue model combines fee-based clinical and training services, public institutional contracts, European project grants (over 30 projects across Erasmus+, Leonardo, Comenius, Grundvig, Cosme, and Horizon since 2007), donations, and membership fees. It reaches beneficiaries through direct in-person delivery at Pianezza, the digital ISTv platform, online Academy courses, and a network of six European cooperation networks (IMME, Hipen, Enviter, DLearn, Let Her In, EDMA) extending its reach across Europe and Africa. Cultural accessibility consulting with major Italian museums (Castello di Rivoli, GAM Torino, etc.) represents an additional distribution channel targeting the cultural-institution vertical.

Name

Fondazione Istituto dei Sordi di Torino - Onlus

Legal name

Fondazione Istituto dei Sordi di Torino - Onlus

Website

https://istitutosorditorino.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1814

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Italian nonprofit foundation founded in 1814 providing deaf education, clinical speech therapy, LIS adult training (Academy), accessible TV content (ISTv), and museum accessibility services across Italy and Europe through seven specialized departments in Pianezza, Turin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education and Social Inclusion Services for the Deaf Community

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Educational Services (611), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Note-Taking, Interpreting & Communication Access Services (EDALAGAD), Accessibility, Accommodations & Assistive Services (EDALAFAN), Special Needs & Inclusive Educational Programming (MPABAKAJ), Accessibility, ADA Compliance & Universal Design Audits (EDAEAKAM)

Keywords

• Deaf education services
• Sign language training
• Speech therapy services
• Accessible media production
• Nonprofit social inclusion

Headquarters

HQ city

Pianezza

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Social and Educational Services: The foundation provides educational, rehabilitative, and social inclusion services primarily funded through public institutional contracts, donations, and membership fees. As a non-profit (Onlus/ETS), revenue is reinvested into programs for deaf individuals.
2. Training and Academy Programs: The Academy department delivers fee-based training courses for deaf and hearing adults, including workshops, seminars, and professional courses (e.g., Adobe Premiere Pro, sectoral language courses), with certificates issued upon completion.
3. Logopedic and Audiology Services: The Centro Audiologopedico provides evaluation and treatment services for communication and language disorders. Services are available for children and adults, with a fee schedule (tariffario) published, and include free initial consultation sessions.
4. European Project Funding: Since 2007, the foundation has implemented over 30 European-funded projects (Leonardo, Comenius, Grundvig, Erasmus+, Cosme, Horizon) providing resources for international cooperation and development activities across Europe and Africa.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Fondazione Istituto dei Sordi di Torino is a nonprofit foundation that delivers educational, rehabilitative, social-inclusion, and cultural services to deaf individuals and their families in Italy. Its core offerings include the ISTv accessible television platform in Italian Sign Language (LIS), the Academy adult-training program, the Centro Audiologopedico speech and audiology clinic, a specialized library and historical archive on deafness, and the Museo Paolo Basso.

Product overview

Fondazione Istituto dei Sordi di Torino - Onlus is a non-profit foundation established in 1814, operating as a platform-plus-services model. The organization offers a television platform called ISTv for content entirely in Italian Sign Language (LIS), alongside an Academy for adult education in LIS, a Centro Audiologopedico for speech therapy and audiology services, a specialized library on deafness, and a museum dedicated to Paolo Basso. These products and services are interconnected to support deaf individuals' communication access, education, cultural inclusion, and rehabilitation needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Museo Paolo Basso: Cultural museum dedicated to Paolo Basso, featuring historical objects, documents, and educational instruments documenting over two centuries of deaf education in Europe and the world.
• Biblioteca
• ISTv
• Academy
• Progetti Europei

Products and services

• ISTv
• Academy
• Centro Audiologopedico
• Biblioteca Specializzata sulla Sordità
• Museo Paolo Basso

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 documented cases treated at the Centro Audiologopedico since 2001
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European Networks (IMME, Hipen, Enviter, DLearn, Let Her In, EDMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation is an active member of six European networks: IMME (immeacademy.org), Hipen (hipen.eu), Enviter (enviter.eu), DLearn (dlearn.eu), Let Her In (letherin.org), and EDMA (edma.eu). These networks support international project development, youth cooperation, and knowledge exchange across Europe in areas related to deaf education and inclusion.
• ErgonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademy collaborated with Ergon for the delivery of a cycle of 10 online workshops (July-October 2025) on self-determination and inclusion for deaf youth aged 18-35, supported by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe.
• European Youth Foundation of the Council of EuropecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides funding support for youth empowerment programs and activities organized by the Academy for deaf young people, including the 10-workshop cycle on self-determination and inclusion.
• CGSI NazionaleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCGSI Nazionale (Coordinamento Genofrastico Sordi Italiani) provided special acknowledgment and material support for the Academy's self-determination workshop series.
• Italian Cultural and Museum Institutions (Castello di Rivoli, GAM Torino, Museo dell'Artigianato Valdostano, Casa Cavazza, Istituzione Bologna Musei)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2007, the foundation has partnered with major Italian cultural institutions on museum accessibility projects, including Castello di Rivoli (Museum of Contemporary Art), Galleria d'Arte Moderna di Torino, Museo dell'Artigianato Valdostano di Tradizione, Casa Cavazza, and Istituzione Bologna Musei. These partnerships aim to make collections and events accessible to deaf visitors through sign language materials, training, and inclusive programming.
• Erasmus+ Programme PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation participates in Erasmus+ and other European programs (Leonardo, Comenius, Grundvig, Cosme, Horizon) implementing over 30 projects across Europe and Africa. Key project examples include SignRoots (Erasmus+ on LIS and LSE origins), VSL on Medicine (medical accessibility), Let's Sign About S3X (Erasmus+ on deaf youth sexuality education), and Deaf Young Code (Erasmus+ on coding for deaf youth).
• Deaf Culture, Heritage and Diversity ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided educational materials for the Academy's self-determination workshop series for young deaf people aged 18-35.
• BIOAGRI DEAFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA dedicated department within the foundation focused on agricultural programs and initiatives for deaf individuals, supporting professional development and social inclusion through agriculture.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ente Nazionale Sordi (ENS): Italy's principal national association representing deaf citizens, delivering social, advocacy, and accessibility services. Directly comparable as a nationwide Italian nonprofit operating in the same disability-services and LIS community domain, though at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Istituto Statale per Sordi di Roma: Public Italian institute dedicated to deaf education and rehabilitation in Rome. Closely comparable as a domestic, mission-aligned institution providing educational, clinical, and cultural services to the deaf community.
• National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS): UK charity focused on deaf children and their families, providing education, family support, and youth programs. Comparable in the children-and-family segment of deaf services and in the delivery of family-counseling and educational programming.
• FIADDA Onlus: Italian Federation of Associations for Deaf People, providing educational, social, and family-support services nationwide. Comparable as a nonprofit federation addressing the same deaf-persona segments and offering overlapping educational, training, and inclusion services.

Broad incumbents

• Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID): UK charity supporting deaf people and those with hearing loss through services, research, and campaigning. Comparable as a multi-service nonprofit delivering clinical, social, and accessibility support to a deaf audience, though at much greater national scale.
• Gallaudet University: The world's only university for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, based in Washington, D.C. Comparable as a long-established institution offering education, research, and cultural programming for the deaf community, but operating at a substantially larger scale and on a higher-education model.
• AG Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: International nonprofit focused on listening, spoken language, and hearing technology for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Comparable in mission orientation toward deaf education and family support, with overlapping advocacy and educational content programs.

Regional players

• Deaf Australia: Australian peak national body representing deaf Australians, providing advocacy, information, and community programs in Auslan. Comparable as a national deaf-services and advocacy organization, but operating in a different geography and sign-language ecosystem.
• European Union of the Deaf (EUD): EU-level umbrella organization representing national associations of deaf people across Europe. Comparable as a pan-European deaf-services and advocacy body, with overlapping European project activity, but operating at a policy-and-advocacy layer rather than direct service delivery.

Others

• Perkins School for the Blind: US-based school serving students with blindness, deafblindness, and visual impairments. Comparable as a long-established special-education institution delivering educational, clinical, and cultural programs to sensory-disabled populations, including deafblind individuals served by the foundation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondazione-istituto-dei-sordi-di-torino---onlus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fondazione Istituto dei Sordi di Torino - Onlus