Wamiq Hassan, the co-founder of the DeafTawk sign language interpretation software, encountered numerous challenges as a deaf student in Pakistan, and was frequently “rejected due to the absence of sign language interpreters.” When he returned home after completing his studies in the United States, Hassan realized that there are 10 million people in Pakistan who suffer the same issues he experienced 15 years ago.
Pakistani Startup Empowers the Deaf Community Via Technology
Consequently, Wamiq and his two visually impaired friends, Ali Shabbar and Abdul Qadeer, co-founded the DeafTawk app in 2019 to empower Pakistan’s deaf community. DeafTawk co-founder Abdul Qadeer told Gulf News, “We chose to resign our profitable positions and focus on bridging the communication gap” for our people. Previously, Qadeer assisted in the automation of banking activities for people with disabilities. The co-founders had a deeper understanding of the suffering and issues that people with hearing loss confront on a daily basis because they were disabled themselves. “We want to establish an inclusive society for all and empower the deaf population,” says Wamiq Hassan, who is also the founder of hearing aid technology in Samsung smartphones. In just three years, DeafTawk, a first-of-its-kind app that was piloted in Pakistan, has grown exponentially and extended to five nations. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) named it one of the finest startups in the Asia Pacific. DeafTawk’s mission is to empower the global deaf population by delivering high-quality sign language services that increase their access to services. Currently, the company has offices in Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Denmark, with headquarters in the US. The firm has created history by becoming the first organization in Pakistan to give live sign-language interpretation at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona, the world’s largest mobile technology event. “The MWC was an eye-opening experience. “We received a lot of attention as well as a lot of networking and future partnership chances,” Qadeer said. Deaf people can sign up for the app, connect with skilled interpreters, and use it to speak with anyone, including physicians, teachers, cab drivers, and family members. The app employs around 1,100 professional interpreters who provide services in six languages including Urdu, English, Chinese, and Malay. Both Android and iOS users can get the app for free. Furthermore, there a are a variety of packages available, starting at just $5 per month. DeafTawk is used by 18,750 people in Pakistan to communicate with the general public. Check out? DeafTawk awarded a grant of $250,000 by The GSMA Innovation Fund for Assistive Tech
