The project was intended to manage the exchange of experiences and compile knowledge from different European contexts. The material is intended to sensitise event organisers in church and society to the problems faced by people with hearing loss. In addition, the aim was to expand the skills of event organisers such as church congregations and diaconal institutions and to increase the chances of inclusion for people with hearing loss. The perception of the self-efficacy of those affected should be increased, thereby counteracting isolation.
A good 40% of the adult population suffers from hearing loss, around 9% of whom are serverely or bordering on deafness. This hearing loss can have fatal consequences: Isolation, depression, sleep disorders and even incapacity to work and suicidal thoughts. Technical progress in the development of hearing systems is rapid and makes a good contribution to the communication skills of people with hearing loss. While hearing systems (hearing aids and cochlear implants) are increasingly improving face-to-face communication. Participation in difficult acoustic environments (e.g. churches and theatre) remains a challenge. Recently, video conferences (church services, dialogue cafés and information events) have also to be accessible for people with hearing loss. In the project, a short guide was developed with a group of 8 people (affected and non-affected) to enable organisers to design an accessible presentation. The brochure contains information on the basics of hearing, the use of induction loops, non-verbal communication options and what to bear in mind when organising video conferences.