Heike Heubach is the first deaf person to sit in the Bundestag. The 44-year-old is replacing SPD politician Uli Grötsch, who was elected federal police commissioner.
Sign language interpreters accompany the Bavarian social democrat in her work. Her thematic focus: equal rights for women and men, environmental protection - and the visibility of people with disabilities. In the 2021 federal election, she missed entering parliament and will instead campaign for a seat in the state legislature.