As Ireland begins its Presidency of the Council of the European Union under the theme “Strength with unity”, EFHOH has published a new statement outlining key opportunities to advance hearing access and the rights of hard of hearing people across Europe.
As 2026 marks the twenty years since the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and follows the EU’s renewed commitment with the enhanced Disability Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities up to 2030, the Presidency has the opportunity to translate these commitments into concrete actions.
EFHOH urges Ireland to advance its Presidency’s programme to:
- include proposals for a universal, equitable and preventive model of hearing care as part of the ESRPD flagship action on assistive technology that guarantees access to hearing aids and cochlear implants for everyone with hearing loss, without age restrictions;
- advance the right to full access to communication and information, ensuring broadcasting and all media platforms provide subtitled content;
- ensure all public events during this presidency provide access to assistive listening systems and live captioning to remove barriers to participation for persons with hearing loss.
Read the full EFHOH statement and recommendations for the Irish Presidency.
