Accessibility in the Vatican museums hearing disability?

We found the museum helpful for my husband who is blind. We arranged for a touch tour for the blind. He did show an ID he had for his guide dog for the blind. It was more of a concern that the dog was legitimate. Could you get a letter from your doctor with your diagnosis? All the museum personnel we’ve dealt with in various museums went out of their way to be accommodating.

Thanks JVB, I have no problem getting a letter from my audiologist or Doctor for that matter. My concern is the process for getting entry tickets. Do I wait until the day I want to go and show up at the Museum or can I schedule a time online? I do know that the Museum has special tours for the people with hearing disabilities and blind but that is all I know. Don't know how the Museum schedules the tours except the tours are Wednesdays and Saturdays.

thanks again.

Hi godavid,
This is the page about tours for hard of hearing https://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/it/organizza-visita/servizi-per-i-visitatori/accessibilita/visitatori-sordi-.html
It's only in Italian so I've used Google translate (see below).
It looks like you absolutely have to book (prenotazioni) at this address: [email protected] (indicate as subject“Visite in LIS”).
Hope this helps.
In order to overcome any barrier or discrimination in the enjoyment of the artistic-cultural heritage, the MVs have long opened their doors to the public of deaf visitors by offering a free service of guided tours in Italian Sign Language (LIS).
The visit, which is divided into three different itineraries, has the peculiarity of being conducted by deaf educational operators selected by the Vatican Museums through an innovative training and professional placement project.
Itineraries
Raphael's Rooms and Sistine Chapel (2h)
Discovering the masterpieces of Raphael and Michelangelo kept in the Vatican Apostolic Palaces.
Pio Clementino Museum and Sistine Chapel (2h)
A journey between painting and sculpture, from the masterpieces of classical statuary to the fifteenth and sixteenth century of the Sistine Chapel.
Vatican Gardens (2h)
An evocative itinerary through the historical, botanical and architectural treasures of the Vatican Gardens.
*Visiting days
Wednesday (from 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm), Saturday (from 9.30 am to 11.30 am; from 12.00 pm to 2.00 pm; from 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm); Friday (Night openings).**
The Pope's Museums also welcome oral deaf people who, not using or knowing sign language, only use lip reading. They too are offered - always by reservation - the possibility of free access to the papal collections in the company of a specialized educational operator.
An innovative video guide in American Sign Language (ASL) integrates and completes the proposal articulated by the MVs for the public of deaf visitors. Available free of charge at the Cortile delle Corazze, the ASL video guide accompanies the visitor on an evocative tour through the main Vatican masterpieces: from the splendid statue of Apoxyomenos, to the Laocoön group, from Apollo to the Belvedere Torso, from the Gallery of Tapestries to the Gallery of Geographical Maps, from the Apartments of Saint Pius V to the Sobieski Room. Raphael's Rooms and the Sistine Chapel are also included in the guided tour.*

Thank you, Tinac, for your helpful information. I did go back to the website Visitors with disabilities and saw where I have to get cleared with certified papers to be eligible for the handicap entry. Also noticed the you have to be 74% disabled to qualify. I know I'm 60% deaf in one ear and maybe 50% in the other. I will have to check with my audiologist to see if I qualify. I don't think I do.

thanks again for your helpful infomation.

And thanks for posting this thread and adding what you found out, useful for all of us with hearing disability....

I checked with my audiologist and was told that Hearing loss is not classified in percentages. I was told I have Bilateral severe to profound hearing loss. I sent the Vatican accessibility services another email and gave them the current information on my hearing loss and that I wear hearing aids. Waiting to see if they respond.

USA audiologists and Italian ones may use different scales.... but hopefully your doctor can convince them that you would benefit from the special tour

When we were on the touch tour for the blind, we were able to schedule the tour via email. For free admission to other museums, I checked the websites to see whether we had to obtain a timed entry. Many times we did not. Good luck with the Vatican.

@godavid You would qualify for a disabled person's rail pass in the UK if you ever want to travel there.

Hi, it's not a percentage for hearing loss, it's a percentage for the disability. In Italy, there is a percentage to disability (based on the level of autonomy, and other factors), and according to that, you receive a percentage, that determines if you'll receive monetary help from the government, a special aid teacher, a special vehicle, a parking spot etc. this also works for museum and events entrances and specialized tours, but given that your need the tour, I'm guessing you "comply" with the needed percentage. Have your doctor write that you absolutely need the special assistance, I guess that should work

I don't know, I may just try to get a regular ticket because I cannot register online for the hard of hearing tours. If I wait and take document from my Doctor and it is not approved since I don't know if my hearing loss complies with the percentage of disability. Then I'm stuck of having to stand in line for long periods of time. I'll give my doctor another shot (no pun intended). Thanks for all your feedback.

I went to the National Library of Medicine and found out it is a very complicated process to get a certificate of disability in Italy. The Assessment of Disability in Italy: The Laborious Procedure and Sharing of Objectives. Thanks again for all your feedback.

I just read the posted link and it states that the guided visit is available in Italian sign language only, and the is a video guide available in American sign language. There is also a guided visit for lip readers, but I don't know if it's only in Italian or in English as well