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The state must ensure that deaf and hard-of-hearing people can receive emergency warnings and contact public authorities effectively, according to a report by Ombudsman and Human Rights Commissioner Maria Stylianou-Lottides.
The report follows a complaint filed by the Cyprus Organisation of the Deaf against Civil Defence on July 31, 2025, concerning access to emergency information for people with hearing difficulties.
The Commissioner said emergency alerts are a key part of civil protection because timely warnings can be critical to protecting lives, physical safety and property. Access to these systems, she stressed, cannot depend on whether someone is able to hear an alarm, warning or spoken message.
For deaf people and other people with disabilities, simply including them in systems designed for the general population is not enough. The report calls for specific arrangements to ensure that emergency messages reach them promptly and in a form they can clearly understand.
It also says people with disabilities must be able to communicate effectively with the relevant state services when an emergency occurs.
Civil Defence has acknowledged that there are gaps in the current arrangements for communicating with people who have hearing or speech difficulties. According to the report, the service has identified universal access, equality and non-discrimination as priorities and has indicated that it intends to review its existing policies and technological solutions.
The Commissioner nevertheless said concrete measures have taken too long to materialise. The delay, according to the report, leaves the state responsible for ensuring that people with disabilities are properly included in emergency preparedness and warning procedures.
Three areas have been identified for priority action: the updating of the Special National Plans, the operation of CY-Alert, and the implementation of NG112.
The Commissioner is calling for these measures to be accompanied by clear deadlines, a detailed roadmap of actions and procedures, and close consultation with the Cyprus Confederation of Organisations of the Disabled (CCOD) and the Cyprus Organisation of the Deaf.
The recommendations have been submitted to the Director General of the Ministry of Interior and the Deputy Director of Civil Defence. Copies of the report have also been provided to CCOD and the Cyprus Organisation of the Deaf.
