Have you ever wondered how you can help your government to improve the situation for hard of hearing people? Do you know what a shadow report is?
Governments are required to publish reports about their human right situation. Shadow reports are a very cool way for organisations to provide governments with alternative information directly from those affected by the laws e.g. disabled people. Our IFHOHYP Board Member, Kave Noori, spent around a year of his life on investigating the accessibility of sign language interpreter and palantypist in Sweden to report the situation to the Swedish government.

The report was written on behalf of four Swedish organizations representing deaf and deafblind persons. It was already well known that the provision of sign language and palantypist service is fragmented and did not meet the needs of deaf and hard of hearing citizens. For example, as a Swede you can get the sign language interpretation service for an appointment with a doctor and funeral, but you cannot be sure if government will provide it for the political meeting that you want to join.

The report clearly showed that deaf and hard of hearing persons will be locked out from many jobs in the labor market unless the government pays for the interpreter/palantypist at the workplace. The aim of the 130-page shadow report was to show how the system could be reformed.
It’s very good to see that Kave and the organisations behind the report made an endless effort to find and give new solutions to governments. Our free translation of the name of the report: “The right to an interpreter is not open for interpretation”.
Read there

We wish Kave and everyone else trying to fight for our rights great success! “Det är dags nu!“- it’s time for positive change!