GHITA outlines election wish list

The Gibraltar Hearing Issues and Tinnitus Association has outlined its wish list for the upcoming election.

The four-page document listed 30 separate ‘wishes’ for the next government to fulfil.

GHITA feels that the next government should have a non-partisan, well-informed and equality driven stance regarding disability, which includes hearing loss.

The association added that the government should “override medical opinion, be cautious of entrenched views and scrutinise existing arrangements”.

GHITA has requested GBC television to provide closed caption subtitles and British Sign Language interpreting on its broadcasts, as well as for the building regulations code to be expanded to include hearing loss.

The association calls for an amendment to the Telecommunications Act to ensure people with a hearing loss can access the emergency services via SMS, to authorise the GHA Occupational Therapy service to assess people with hearing loss and procure alerting devices, and create a duty in the Social Services Act to include those with a hearing loss as a potentially vulnerable group.

GHITA is seeking for the Care Agency to identify elders with a hearing loss and co-ordinate the necessary medical and community services and in regards to the youngest in this community to review and update a strategy for those needing hearing equipment.

The association also wants the Government of Gibraltar to recognise GHITA as the national organisation of the deaf.