Community of deaf individuals: DeafTawk, Kingfisher partner for digital inclusion

KARACHI: DeafTawk, a startup scaled under Pakistan’s premier accelerator programme Jazz xlr8 and dedicated to improving the lives of deaf individuals, has partnered with Kingfisher, a next-generation mobile experience (MX) company, to promote digital inclusion and create a positive socioeconomic impact for the deaf community in Pakistan.

GSMA, an organization that represents the interests of mobile network operators worldwide was instrumental in bringing both organizations together.

Under this partnership, Kingfisher will provide smartphones to be distributed among the marginalized deaf community in Pakistan every year, enabling them to connect with the outside world and access employment opportunities. This initiative will help millions of deaf persons to overcome the barriers to communication, to achieve their full potential and become contributing members of society.

Kingfisher is revolutionizing the mobile experience economy by delivering the newest pre-owned devices that bring unparalleled freedom and flexibility to the mobile ownership experience. By partnering with DeafTawk, Kingfisher is demonstrating its commitment to creating positive social change and promoting digital inclusion in Pakistan.

Jazz, Pakistan’s leading digital operator has pledged to provide the necessary logistics assistance for this initiative, while the Ministry of IT & Telecom Pakistan has promised to extend its unwavering support to this great cause. DeafTawk, with the support of Jazz, also made the Mobile World Conference 2023 (MWC23 Barcelona), the world’s most influential connectivity industry event, inclusive for the global deaf community for the second consecutive year through sign language interpretation services.

Commenting on the partnership, DeafTawk's CEO Ali Shabbar said, "We are delighted to partner with Kingfisher to improve the lives of deaf individuals in Pakistan. With the support of the GSMA, Jazz and the Ministry of IT & Telecom, we will work towards the socio-economic development of the 9 million deaf persons in Pakistan."

The partnership between DeafTawk and Kingfisher marks an important step in promoting digital inclusion and creating a more inclusive society in Pakistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023