EFHOH is pleased to announce the release of its new publication: “European Accessibility Act: from consultation to implementation, a Hard of Hearing perspective.”
The report provides a cross-country overview of how the European Accessibility Act (EAA) is being implemented following the 28 June 2025 deadline, with a particular focus on accessibility for hard of hearing people. It highlights where progress is emerging, where major gaps persist, and how national hard of hearing organisations assess the accessibility of essential public services.
Download the full report here!
About the report
Based on a structured survey carried out between November and December 2025 among EFHOH hard of hearing member organisations, the report explores early national implementation of the EAA and identifies key trends in awareness, preparedness, and accessibility.
The findings show that awareness of EAA obligations among public authorities and service providers remains uneven, with only a small number of countries demonstrating clear understanding of the Directive and its implementation into national law.
Notably, the accessibility of public services varies widely. Following the June 2025 deadline, many service providers and economic operators continue to rely heavily on telephone contact-only. While some countries offer multiple communication channels, such as email, text-based tools, or online forms, these options are far from consistent, especially in the case of emergency services (112) and banking.
The built environment also remains a critical gap. Although the EAA does not mandate physical accessibility requirements, most national frameworks do not yet integrate accessible measures such asassistive listening systems, acoustic standards, or visual alerts, which are essential for ensuring hearing access and safety for hard of hearing people.
Across Europe, respondents reported very limited improvements since June 2025, indicating that implementation into national law and by service providers has not yet translated into meaningful change for hard of hearing people.
EFHOH Call to Action
The report findings call for:
- Active participation of the national organisations of hard of hearing people in monitoring the implementation of the EAA.
- Stronger monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, both in national legislation and in the practices of service providers and economic operators.
- National legislators must ensure multiple communication channels across all public services beyond telephone-only, including emergency and banking services are part of EAA implementation.
- Clear national guidance for manufacturers, distributors, and service providers on meeting EAA obligations.
- Mandatory integration of hearing-access measures in the built environment.
- Implementation of Real Time Text and Total Conversation as part of 112 access.
Although not part of the survey findings, we also call for strengthening accessible telecommunications, including mandatory real-time text, reliable captioned phone services, and universal access to text- and relay-based communication, so that hard of hearing people can communicate independently and safely across all digital and telephony services.
What national organisations can do
National organisations of hard of hearing people have a crucial role in ensuring that hearing accessibility is fully embedded in national legislation and rigorously monitored in practice. They can support effective implementation by:
- Checking which accessibility laws apply in the country and understanding how national frameworks implement the EAA.
- Pushing for accessible emergency communication and shorter timelines where delays pose safety risks.
- Monitoring compliance and submitting complaints where requirements are not met.
- Engaging with national authorities and building coalitions with other disability and consumer organisations to ensure hearing access is prioritized in EAA implementation.
- Seeking clear national guidance for service providers and advocating for mandatory hearing-access standards in the built environment.
EFHOH is supporting its members in these efforts to strengthen coordinated advocacy across Europe.
Download the full report to explore why EAA matters to hard of hearing people and to examine all findings here.
