In the period from 27 May to 1 June, the European Youth Centre Strasbourg hosted a group of hard-of-hearing (HoH) young people from the Federation of Hard-of-hearing Young People (IFHOHYP) for a 6-day study session "Finding your voice", with the aim to empower HoH young people by enabling them to share their stories and experiences, strengthening their advocacy skills in technology, AI and human rights.

 Over 6 days of intensive yet interactive programme they explored the Council of Europe and its work on youth participation, advocacy and human rights talking about rights of people with disabilities, existing policies and approaches, and sketching their local advocacy initiatives. Moreover, they explored the impact of AI tools and social platforms on HoH and deaf youth to support their engagement and inclusion.

 The objectives of the study session were:

• To empower participants with knowledge of technologies and social platforms to expand their reach and create a community.
• To strengthen hard of hearing young people’s skills in public speaking, leadership, teambuilding, and storytelling as methods for advocacy.
• To learn about human rights for persons with disabilities, which includes policies, documents, and conventions by organisations like the United Nations, Council of Europe, and the work of other organisations.
• To map and navigate the state of play in relation to the rights of hard of hearing young people in different countries.

 Overall, the group strengthened their leadership and public speaking skills through sharing stories, experiences and good practices, as well as learning about connections between the rights if people with disabilities and technology.

 More information about the study session can be found on the dedicated webpage.