The first VR glasses in Europe adapted to deaf and hard of hearing people presented in Osor

In the last week of September, the International Week of the Deaf is celebrated with the aim of raising global awareness of the rights of the deaf. On this very occasion, 50 members of the Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing of the City of Zagreb visited the famous open-air museum - the city of Osor, where they were presented with a virtual walk. Osor's time machine – a new dimension of the past.

Namely, with virtual reality technology through VR glasses and sign language, the user gets to know the rich history of Osor and the Cresko-Lošinj archipelago in an interesting and exciting way through 11 stories, in a complete 3D experience. The glasses themselves have a menu in six languages, including sign language as a complete novelty, so it's about the first VR glasses in Europe with sign language suitable for deaf and hard of hearing people.

"We are extremely pleased that this year, on the International Day of the Deaf, we can be in Osor and support such a commendable project in general, and especially for the Deaf community. Every year, the International Day of the Deaf, which is celebrated on the last Saturday in September, is celebrated with certain topics important for the functioning and improvement of the quality of life of deaf and hard of hearing people, and this is also an opportunity to sensitize the public and raise awareness about deaf people, as well as an incentive for further activities that will make deaf people equal members of the wider social community", she said Mirjana Juriša from the Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing of the City of Zagreb.

This project was created with the cooperation of the Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj, the Lošinj Museum and Conoko doo

"Deaf and hard-of-hearing people select their language (international sign language) in the menu. Within the story, their narrator is on the side-by-side parallel projection and is visible when the viewer follows the action all around them (360°). As far as we know, this is the first such possibility in Europe, which presents cultural heritage in tourism, and enables the deaf and hard of hearing to equally enjoy virtual reality projections", he explained Nedjeljko Tisler from the company Conoko doo

Visitors can buy tickets and pick up glasses and headphones in the Osor Archaeological Collection - Lošinj Museum. The entire project was designed outdoors, where users will activate their glasses at designated places and thus immerse themselves in the past.

"The goal of the Osorsk vremeplov project is to valorize the cultural and historical heritage of Osor, to create additional value and a touristic experience through the use of digital technology. As a destination, we are looking in the direction of making as many public, cultural and touristic contents as possible available to all our visitors. Thus at the entrances to public facilities , facilities and beaches, we install ramps and elevators for people with reduced mobility. The Apoxyomena Museum installed a tactile Apoxyomena for the visually impaired, while in Osor we added sign language to the VR glasses for the deaf and hard of hearing. All of this is part of the program we are working on in the framework of responsible development of tourism and as one of the TOP 100 sustainable destinations in the world", said the director of the Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj Dalibor Cvitkovic.

Photo source: Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Lošinj