From 18 to 20 September 2024, the European Union of the Deaf (EUD) was represented at the workshop on access to healthcare for persons with disabilities, organised by the European Disability Forum (EDF) and ICF in Brussels. EUD Policy Manager Alexandre Bloxs and Executive Director Frankie Picron participated in the workshop, bringing forward key perspectives on making healthcare more inclusice to deaf people in the European Union.
This workshop, commissioned by the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) of the European Commission, aimed to design a comprehensive set of guidelines to assist EU Member States in improving healthcare accessibility for persons with disabilities. EDF and ICF were tasked with creating guidelines addressing systemic barriers and enhancing healthcare provisions for these communities.
During the workshop, Alexandre and Frankie highlighted the importance of ensuring healthcare services are accessible in national sign languages. They advocated for three critical measures:
• The provision of professional, accredited national sign language interpreters in healthcare settings.
• Encouraging healthcare practitioners to become fluent in the national sign language.
• Establishing opportunities for deaf people to access cultural mediators.
The role of a cultural mediator is especially crucial as it ensures that healthcare information is communicated in a culturally appropriate manner, meeting the specific requirements of deaf people, as opposed to the national sign language interpreter who is tasked to simply interpret the spoken language into the national sign language. Such mediators can bridge the gap between deaf patients and healthcare practitioners, removing barriers to meaningful and inclusive healthcare services.
In addition to this, Alexandre and Frankie stressed the urgent need for mental health services in the national sign language. Deaf people often face heightened social isolation due to linguistic barriers and the general inaccessibility of society. Access to mental health support in their national sign language is essential to address this isolation and support the well-being of deaf communities in the EU.
The EUD fully endorses the forthcoming guidelines and remains committed to advocating for the right of deaf people to equal access to healthcare services.
Stay tuned as we continue to work alongside key stakeholders to ensure the voice of the deaf community is heard at all levels of policymaking in Europe.
