Italian National Agency for the Deaf

Foundation The ENS was established on 24 September 1932, in Padua, through the merger of several existing deaf associations, with the aim of creating a single national body to represent Italian deaf people. The initiative was spearheaded by Antonio Magarotto, who cleverly circumvented a ban on national deaf conventions imposed by the Fascist regime by convening representatives under the pretext of celebrating the seventh centenary of the death of Anthony of Padua. A crucial prior achievement, influenced by the unified efforts, was the 1938 abrogation of Italian Civil Code provisions that legally incapacitated deaf individuals, granting them full legal capacity and civil rights. Law No. 698 of 21 August 1950, strongly advocated by then-director Cesare Magarotto (son of Antonio), reorganized the ENS, recognizing it as a public law legal entity responsible for representing and protecting all Italian deaf individuals. Following administrative decentralization (DPR 616/1977), the ENS, like other historical disability associations, was transformed into a private law moral entity in 1979, while retaining its nationally recognized roles of representation and protection. A significant legislative victory for the deaf community, resulting from ENS advocacy, was Law No. 95 of 20 February 2006, which officially replaced the term (deaf-mute) with (deaf) in all Italian legislation. ==Mission==

The core mission of the ENS is to promote the social integration, identity, autonomy, and full human potential of deaf people within Italian society. It acts as the primary national body for the protection and assistance of the deaf community. The ENS is registered in the National Single Register of the Third Sector (RUNTS) as a social promotion association. Its functions include representing and safeguarding the rights of individuals with hearing disabilities, as mandated by its founding legislation and subsequent decrees. The ENS is also recognized as a Meritorious Association by the Italian Paralympic Committee (CIP) and is registered in the roster of Universal Civil Service entities. ==Organization==

The ENS operates nationally through a network of 104 provincial sections, 18 regional councils, and various local and inter-municipal representations. Central Bodies • National Congress • National Assembly • Governing Council • National President • Board of Arbitrators () • Central Control Body Peripheral Bodies • Regional Congresses and Assemblies • Regional Councils and Presidents • Regional Boards of Auditors () • Regional Secretaries • Provincial Congresses and Assemblies • Provincial Councils and Presidents • Inter-municipal and Local Representatives and Coordinators Thematic Areas The ENS organizes its activities into several key areas, including: • Employment policies, civil service, budget of the Italian Deaf Youth Committee (CGSI). • History of the Deaf, senior citizens, library, spiritual sector, and equal opportunities. • Multimedia, leisure, cinema, theatre, and video library. • School and university, family policies, relations with CGSI. • Coordination of regional observatories, health, peripheral legislative coordination, fundraising, special events project coordination. • Sports policies, international relations (with WFD and EUD), LIS, and training. Specialized Centers • "Vittorio Ieralla" Documentation Center and Library • Video Production Center – "I Sordi Italiani" Museum • "Francesco Rubino" International Museum of Deaf Sports ==Affiliations==

The ENS is a founding member of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), established in Rome in 1951 and recognized by major international organizations, including the United Nations. It has also been a member of the European Union of the Deaf (EUD) since 1985 and aligns its activities with European Union directives. Nationally, ENS is a founding member of FAND (), a federation of historical Italian disability advocacy organizations, alongside UICI (Italian Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted), ANMIC (National Association of Mutilated and Invalid Civilians), ANMIL (National Association of Workers Mutilated and Disabled at Work), and UNMS (National Union of Mutilated for Service). The ENS is also a member of the FID (), the European Disability Forum (EDF), and the . ==Members==

Membership numbers over the years include: ==Presidents==

• Giovanni De Carlis (1948–1950) • Vittorio Ieralla (1950–1982) • Furio Bonora (1982–1987) • Armando Giuranna (1987–1995) • Ida Collu (1995–2011) • Giuseppe Petrucci (2011–2021) • Raffaele Angelo Cagnazzo (2021–present) ==Congresses==

The ENS holds national congresses to discuss policy and elect leadership. Notable recent congresses include: • XXIII Congress: Santa Margherita di Pula, 2008 • XXIV Congress: Rocca di Papa, 2011 • XXV Congress: Montesilvano, 2015 • XXVI Congress: Rome, 30–31 July 2021 • XXVII Congress (Extraordinary): Isola delle Femmine, 12–15 May 2022 • XXVIII Congress (Extraordinary): Rome, 23 July 2022 ==Museum and archive==

Within its headquarters, the ENS maintains a museum dedicated to the pioneers who founded both the ENS and the World Federation of the Deaf. It also houses an archive of historical documents, photographs, and a periodical library (). ==In popular culture==

Comics In 2019, the graphic novel Fratelli di Silenzio was published, recounting the story of Antonio Magarotto and the founding of the unified national organization for deaf Italians. Journal Parole & Segni was a bimonthly Italian magazine published by ENS for its members. It provided information on deafness, relevant legislation, association news, activities of provincial sections and the youth committee, sports, and cultural topics. ==See also==