Parliamentary committee hears concerns over accessibility for deaf people in Cyprus

The House human rights committee met on Monday to discuss access to information for deaf individuals in Cyprus. Representatives from the Cyprus confederation of disability organisations (Kysoa) and the association of sign language interpreters testified that current provisions are inadequate. Kysoa chairwoman Themis Anthopoulou highlighted that reliance on short news bulletins on state television is insufficient, especially during ongoing regional crises. She noted that recent civil defence test alerts sent via SMS caused unnecessary panic among deaf people who were not informed in advance. Furthermore, there is a lack of full access to televised political discussions ahead of the May 24 parliamentary elections. Kyproulla Makri, head of the interpreters' association, pointed out the absence of an official certification body for sign language interpreters, despite legislation recognizing the language. The association currently consists of 22 members. The Ministry of Education stated it handles training but does not oversee interpreter certification. The committee review was initiated by Akel MP Giorgos Koukoumas.