SOFIT and TRIAC has agreed to work in close collaboration on the upcoming product, DeafTawk.
DeafTawk is a digital platform service that aims to bridge the communication gap between the deaf community and the general public in real-time via a sign language interpreter. We provide online sign language interpretation services, audio-video translation services, and sign language trainings. In Pakistan, the total population of persons with disabilities is around 22 million, out of which 1.2 million are registered persons with hearing impairment. The biggest challenge for this community is to communicate with the general public and to take information in verbal communication. Due to the communication barriers, they are the most marginalized community among disabilities.Currently, few solutions are available but such solutions are very expensive and limited access. The total size of sign language interpreters is 95 across Pakistan out of which 22 are certified sign language interpreters. They are only available in the metropolitan cities of Pakistan, which means only people from Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Islamabad can have access to these sign language interpreters. The people living in other and rural areas of Pakistan have very limited access to sign language interpretations. In accordance with these circumstances, persons with hearing impairments face lot of challenges in communicating with doctors, teachers, employers and general public. We bridge the gap between the hearing and the non-hearing community. Through the provision of online sign language services, the cost of the physical interpreter is minimized and the communication gap between the hearing impaired or deaf person and a normal person is reduced.
