EFHOH welcomes the ambitions and plans outlined in the State of the European Union 2025 (SOTEU). However, we note with concern that the statement did not demonstrate a true commitment to the inclusion of all persons with disabilities.
The SOTEU is the annual speech delivered by the President of the European Commission, currently Ursula von der Leyen, to the European Parliament each September. It reviews the EU’s work over the past year, sets priorities for the future, and is one of the most important political moments in the EU calendar.
Yet, despite its significance, millions of hard of hearing Europeans were excluded from political involvement because no real-time subtitling was provided in any of the Commission’s streaming channels. For EFHOH, this is unacceptable. Real-time subtitling is one of the most essential accessibility measures for the 59 million Europeans with hearing loss, who were left out once again of engaging in such a central moment in EU democracy and policy-making.
The EU should apply its own obligations for institutional communications, as set out in:
- Article 20 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on Freedom of expression and access to information.
- Article 29 CRPD on Participation in political and public life.
- Article 30 CRPD on Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport.
- The Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), requiring audiovisual content to be progressively accessible to persons with disabilities.
EFHOH acknowledges the commitments announced during the speech, such as the European Housing Summit, the Anti-Poverty Strategy, and the Quality Jobs Act. However, these initiatives will only succeed if they are designed and implemented with the full inclusion of organisations of persons with disabilities.
In light of these plans, we expect the Commission to:
- Integrate hearing accessibility into the upcoming European Housing Summit, ensuring that affordable housing is also accessible for hard of hearing people. This means applying key elements from EN 17210:2021 which sets requirements crucial for hard of hearing people: good acoustic conditions to reduce background noise, visual alarms and doorbells instead of sound-only signals, and accessible entry and intercom systems.
- Ensure that the Quality Jobs Act truly delivers inclusive workplaces for hard of hearing workers, by promoting the right to reasonable accommodations and providing separate EU funding mechanisms to support Member States,
- Guarantee that the Anti-Poverty Strategy addresses the specific risks faced by people with disabilities, including hard of hearing people, and that organisations of persons with disabilities are fully involved in its implementation.
We also note that disability and accessibility were not mentioned in the speech.
Accessibility is not optional, it is a democratic right and pre-condition to political participation. EFHOH urges the European Commission to demonstrate its commitment to a Union of Equality by ensuring that future SOTEU speeches, and all high-level institutional communications, are made fully accessible for hard of hearing people.
EFHOH sent an official letter to the European Commission to raise these concerns and stands ready to support with expertise and guidance on accessible solutions.
