Accessibility for hard of hearing people means a broad range of assistive technology both for the individual and/or society in order to remove barriers and avoid new ones. EFHOH carries out ongoing campaigns for accessibility with the most important topics being:
-Access to captioning (speech to text) and training development;
-Access to audiovisual media with subtitling;
-Access to hearing aids, cochlear implants, assistive listening devices, and quality hearing care.
Our Board members work together with the European Disability Forum (EDF) and other partners to advocate for support and to raise awareness of accessibility needs for hard of hearing people. Recently, EFHOH has supported EDF with its campaign for a strong Accessibility Act. The European Accessibility Act aims to improve the functioning of the internal market for accessible products and services. The Act should provide a minimum level of accessibility for all Europeans. The act covers products and services like computers, ATMs, ticketing machines, smartphones, TV equipment, and services related to air, bus, rail, and waterborne passenger transport.
Additionally, EDF has published a manual on how to make election campaigns accessible for persons with disabilities and the general public. The manual also includes guidelines on how to make campaigns and events more accessible for the hard of hearing. You can view or download the manual here.
IFHOH published a position paper concerning Hearing Accessibility Guidelines for hard of hearing people and event organizers. You can view or download their guidelines here.
EFHOH has also published its own guidelines on accessibility for hard of hearing people. These guidelines include sections concerning basic needs like hearing aids and other assistive technologies such as subtitling, captioning, and hearing loops. You can download the guidelines here
EFHOH also conducts surveys about the situation of hard of hearing people in different European countries and shares it with its stakeholders. To view our reports, go to Resources
Using the phone or video calling is a challenge for many hard of hearing people. Check out this video by hearing loss coach Wendlina Timmerman for accessible calling:
