Challenges faced by Deaf and Mute community

Communication Barrier

• There is no mother tongue for Deaf and Mute people

• Difficulties in communicating with normal people such as in Banks, Hospitals, Police Station

• In the disabling hearing loss community only 1% know sign language.

Education & Employment

• As per WHO, in developing countries, children with hearing loss and deafness often do not receive schooling.

• Adults with hearing loss also have a much higher unemployment rate.

• Among those who are employed, a higher percentage of people with hearing loss are in the lower grades of employment compared with the general workforce.

Social isolation, loneliness and stigma

• WHO estimates that unaddressed hearing loss poses an annual global cost of US$ 980 billion. This includes health sector costs (excluding the cost of hearing devices), costs of educational support, loss of productivity, and societal costs.

Assisstive Devices

• Assisstive devices like Hearing aids are not affordable to everyone

• Production of hearing aids meet only 10% of global needs and 3% of developing country needs

• Nearly 80% of people with disabling hearing loss live in low- and middle-income countries