General objectives: - Increase the health literacy of Deaf adults, with particular focus on access to information on disease prevention, care for physical and mental well-being, and healthy lifestyle choices. - Facilitate Deaf adults’ access to health information using innovative, accessible, and digital methodologies. Improve the teaching skills of adult educators, focusing on methodologies effective for Deaf adult education. Specific objectives: - Identify health information needs and gaps among Deaf adults in partner countries. - Support Deaf adults in acquiring essential knowledge about physical and mental health, disease prevention, and accessing health services. - Provide Deaf adults with tools and digital skills to access and evaluate health information. - Define, adapt, and promote methodologies for Deaf adult education that respect linguistic and cultural aspects. - Raise awareness among healthcare professionals about Deaf people’s needs and communication barriers. - Disseminate awareness-raising videos and learning materials in sign language via digital platforms.
Deaf adults across Europe face persistent obstacles in accessing health information, healthcare services, and communication with health professionals. These barriers result in poorer health outcomes compared to the general population. Deafness, being an often-invisible disability, leads to discrimination and social isolation—especially regarding accessing health information, which is predominantly shared through spoken or written language that may not be accessible to many Deaf adults. There is also a lack of tailored educational offerings and trained educators for Deaf adults, as most materials and strategies are aimed at children or young people. Digital transformation in healthcare and education further increases the gap, as Deaf adults often lack the training to access online health content, while educational and health campaigns rarely provide accessible sign language resources.