EFHOH Leadership Meeting January 2025: United for Hearing Access!

EFHOH Leadership Meeting January 2025: United for Hearing Access!

On January 16–17, 2025, EFHOH hosted the Leadership Meeting in Brussels, as part of the CERV programme actions, bringing together representatives from its member organizations across Europe. The meeting focused on aligning priorities and strengthening collective efforts to advance the rights of hard of hearing people and promote hearing access. 

The event opened with Haydn Hammersley, EDF Social Policy Officer, presenting the key initiatives under the EU Disability Strategy 2021–2030, such as the Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee and legislative actions for full freedom of movement for persons with disabilities. Marie Denninghaus, EDF Senior Social Policy Coordinator, highlighted the alignment between EFHOH’s goals and the European Commission’s priorities, emphasizing the shared commitment to implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

EFHOH shortly presented its 2025 goals, focusing on increasing involvement in European policy-making, advocating for hearing loss inclusion in key policies, raising awareness of best practices in hearing care and enhancing cooperation and visibility among members and stakeholders at both European and international levels. 

The morning session concluded with representatives from EFHOH member organizations introducing themselves and sharing updates on their national efforts and challenges. This exchange of experiences highlighted the diverse needs across European countries while reinforcing common goals, such as improving access to hearing care, assistive technologies, inclusive education and employment. 

The afternoon session focused on aligning priorities to enhance collective efforts at the EU level. Key discussions included ensuring stronger advocacy for disability-inclusive traineeships, better implementation of the EU Disability Strategy and advancing standards for accessibility tools like hearing loops and subtitling. Members emphasized the need for data collection to strengthen lobbying efforts and agreed on creating more tools and guidance to better engage with policymakers. Members also discussed strategies to increase visibility and cooperation with stakeholders, including technology companies. 

Overall, the EFHOH Leadership Meeting 2025 reinforced the power of collaboration and advocacy in advancing accessibility and inclusion for hard of hearing people. Following the success of its first Leadership Meeting, EFHOH aims to organize similar exchanges on a yearly basis.