Hear the Future: Breaking Barriers for an EU Strategy on Hearing Loss`

Hosted by MEP Katrin Langensiepen

With the co-organisation of the European Federation of Hard of Hearing People (EFHOH) and the European Association of Hearing Aid Professionals (AEA).

Date: 04 March 2026 – Time: 14:00 – 17:00 CET - European Parliament, Brussels

The Audiometry Tests were conducted from 14:00 till15:00h, by students and a lecturer from the audiology department at the University College, Léonard de Vinci in Brussels. The participants conducted a self-test pure tone audiometry and received the results with extra information.  Thank you Maximilian Hoffmann for taking care or this.

The lectures and discussion ran from 15:00 till 17:00 and were supported by Real-Time Human Captioning and by Audio Induction Loops.

Hearing loss can affect individuals at any stage of life, from early childhood and adolescence to working age and older adulthood. The challenges faced by people with hearing loss differ across the lifespan, and policies and accommodations must reflect these age-specific needs, addressing the diverse conditions, barriers, and goals experienced by hard of hearing individuals.

Following the commemoration of the World Hearing Day, the event “Hear the Future: Breaking Barriers for an EU Strategy on Hearing Loss” brings together lived experience, professional expertise, and policy perspectives to emphasize the urgent need for a coordinated EU Strategy on Hearing Loss, one that fosters early detection, accessibility, inclusion and equal opportunities for persons with hearing loss at every stage of life.

Opening remarks – MEP Katrin Langensiepen

• My personal story: from school to employment – Nicole Sophie Marinos, Disability Advocate, AHEAD
• Hard of hearing role models and career development among young adults – Jonathan Elebjörk Wahlström, General Secretary, Unga Hörselskadade
• Lessons from a global action for hearing loss: the strategy of the WHO – Shelly Chadha, Team Lead of Hearing Health, World Health Organization
• Managing Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants in the workplace – Jiska Peeters, Staff Member, Communications and Marketing Department, Thomas More University
• Breaking barriers: hearing loss, hearing care and empowerment to be successful at work - Mark Laureyns, President, AEA
• Why an EU Strategy on Hearing Loss is urgent – Lidia Best, President, EFHOH
• Questions, Answers & Conclusions – Moderation: Henrique Raskin, Head of Secretariat, EFHOH