The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are around 63 million people in India living with some degree of hearing loss. Of Indians with significant hearing loss, 99% either never receive an education or drop out of school early, usually around age 12. Additionally, 73.9% of deaf Indians are either unemployed or marginally employed. These statistics highlight the need for increased support and focus on the issues that the deaf population in India faces, in order to help break the cycle of poverty.

1. The Noida Deaf Society

The Noida Deaf Society is an organization helping the deaf community in 12 states within India. With the overall goal of creating a society where deaf Indians are able to live entirely self-sufficiently, the Noida Deaf Society focuses on education, employment and working with organizations, teachers and other members of society to increase awareness of the challenges facing deaf Indians.

The Noida Deaf Society has helped deaf people in India find employment in sectors such as hospitality, retail, data entry, education and manufacturing. The organization also runs multiple schools, including short-term training programs, primary education, remedial education, vocational training and sign language education for hearing parents of deaf children. Through these schools, the Noida Deaf Society also helps train interpreters — a very necessary effort, as India had only 250 certified sign language interpreters as of 2017.

2. Sense International India

Sense International India is an organization helping the deaf community in 23 states within India. Working with individuals who are both deaf and blind, its goal is to ensure deafblind Indians and their families have equal access to support and opportunities. Sense International India puts enormous effort into promoting inclusion and intervention in the educational system, screening for and identifying deafblindness early in life so intervention is possible and providing vocational training to deafblind adults so they can be financially independent.

Sense International India is currently working on providing sustainable services to deafblind Indians in five southern states, four northern states and six eastern states. The organization is also working on setting up infrastructure to provide sustainable services to deafblind individuals in Ujjain, India.

3. All India Federation of the Deaf

Based in New Delhi and affiliated with the World Federation of the Deaf, the All India Federation of the Deaf has been helping the deaf community across India for more than 60 years. The foundation’s goals include empowering the deaf community, helping deaf Indians develop life skills, enabling deaf Indians to actively engage in society and making sure human rights apply equally to deaf Indians.

To meet this goal, the All India Federation of the Deaf focuses on ensuring the communication needs of deaf Indians are met and providing activities for deaf youth. It maintains a training center for deaf Indians aged 14 to 30 and a hostel for the training center’s students. Specific chapters within the organization focus on aiding deaf women and youth.

4. VAANI Deaf Children’s Foundation

VAANI Deaf Children’s Foundation currently helps the deaf community in three states within India. With the goal of ensuring every deaf child in India gets to live a fulfilling and dignified life, VAANI Deaf Children’s Foundation focuses on early detection and intervention, provides language and communication services to deaf children and their families, engages parents and professionals in the lives of deaf children and influences public policy to protect the rights of deaf Indians.

VAANI Deaf Children’s Foundation provides hearing screenings to newborns, early intervention services, training modules for educators on teaching deaf children, training for community workers and companies, a resource center for deaf children and their parents to learn Indian Sign Language, and life skills workshops for deaf children and their parents. The organization also assists in disaster management and provides general education to deaf children. 

5. Deaf EnAbled Foundation

The Deaf EnAbled Foundation helps the deaf community in seven states and one union territory of India. Its goal is to create a world where deaf Indians have full and equal access to every part of society. The organization’s targets include adult literacy, promoting Indian Sign Language among both deaf and non-deaf Indians, providing education and employment training to deaf Indians and raising awareness for deaf rights.

The Deaf EnAbled Foundation started its work in 2009. To date, it has provided training to more than 6,300 deaf students, helped more than 4,400 deaf Indians get jobs, enabled more than 3,200 deaf children to participate in competitions, enabled more than 3,500 deaf youth to take part in community activities and taught Indian Sign Language to more than 500 people.

Looking Ahead

While there is still a long road ahead to achieve full equality for deaf Indians, these organizations have done great work and are making real, lasting change. Thanks to the efforts of these groups, deaf Indians are able to access education, employment opportunities and more, enabling the community to begin lifting themselves out of poverty.

– Natalie Coyne
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