WRITTEN QUESTION E-0701/01

by Eurig Wyn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(8 March 2001)

Subject: Employment of the deaf

Is the Commission aware that the unemployment rate for deaf people is roughly double the national average? It has been found that the deaf take much longer to find employment which is often exacerbated when they detect evidence of unfair discrimination. Those who are able to find employment are invariably underemployed or given menial positions.

The deaf fare no better in community activities. Most of the major functions in our society are based on sound. The spoken word, music, radio, telephony are the lynchpins of community interaction. Deaf people are denied the opportunity to participate in a broad range of information, services and opportunities.

Does the Commission agree that there must be a more proactive move towards the social inclusion of deaf people?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(28 May 2001)

The Commission is aware that employment rates are lower for people who are deaf. It is, however, taking a proactive approach to improving their situation.

Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation(1) provides for action against discrimination based, inter alia, on disability. Council Decision 2000/750/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a Community Action programme to combat discrimination (2001-2006)(3) puts into practice a strategy for combating all forms of discrimination on different grounds, including disability.

The employment of people with disabilities receives specific attention in the annual National Action Plans (NAPs) for Employment which form part of the European Employment Strategy.

Some of the difficulties encountered by people who are deaf in gaining access to the workplace can be addressed through the use of technology. The Commission has funded and is funding many research projects to provide access to this spoken world. For example, within the Information Society Technologies (IST) programme, the Visicast project is a system which aims to recognise speech and perform automatic translation into various European sign languages. The Wisdom project is addressing the needs of sign language interaction through a new generation of mobile telephony.

The new Community Initiative Programme EQUAL 2000-2006(2) has a thematic approach and will focus on several grounds of discrimination simultaneously. People who are deaf are encouraged to examine possibilities for participating in EQUAL.

In June 2000 the e-Europe An Information Society For All Action Plan was prepared by the Council and the Commission for the Feira European Council of 19/20 June 2000. One of the ten priority areas in the eEurope initiative is eParticipation for people with disabilities.

Sign languages have found their rightful place in the European Year of Languages.

The Commission has proposed the year 2003 as the European Year of Disabled People. This will provide considerable scope for awareness raising and action to counter discrimination against people with disabilities, including, of course, people with hearing impairments, whether in the labour market or in society in general.

(1) OJ L 303, 2.12.2000.

(2) Communication from the Commission to the Member States establishing the guidelines for the Community initiative Equal concerning transnational co-operation to promote new means of combating all forms of discrimination and inequalities in connection with the labour market (OJ C 127, 5.5.2000).

(3) OJ L 303, 2.12.2000.