A very important moment for EFHOH at the High-Level Conference on Disability, “Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities: Empowerment and Support in a Community for All”, on 7 May 2026, organised under the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026 in Limassol.
Commissioner Hadja Lahbib explicitly recognised hearing loops as part of public accessibility infrastructure, alongside transport and building accessibility. For EFHOH and the hard of hearing community, hearing accessibility being acknowledged at such a high political level is a significant achievement and a very welcome recognition.
The Commissioner’s intervention particularly stood out for us: “People are talking, but you can’t follow. There is no hearing loop. You catch a few words. You guess the rest.”
This reflects the reality many hard of hearing people still face every day across Europe. Recognising hearing access as a key enabler of inclusion, participation, and equal access to public life is a very important step forward.
We are here to continue this dialogue and to ensure that awareness leads to concrete action and truly accessible environments for all.
