Society for the Empowerment of the DeafBlind
This Association is a registered NGO, established to provide support to people with Deafness and Deafblindness in India.
At SEDB, we believe in a world free from hunger, poverty, discrimination and exploitation, and we work towards an inclusive society with Deaf & Deafblind people. We wish to support the education and medical needs of children with Deaf/Deafblindness, and also to assist adults with Deaf/Deafblindness towards self-reliance through economic empowerment and livelihood skills training.
The majority of our team members are themselves Deaf and Deafblind people, who adequately illustrate that abilities can be achieved through the right opportunities at the right time.
There are more than half a million deafblind people, in addition to 5 million deaf people in India, according to the 2011 census, but unfortunately the educational sector has been able to reach out to only about 40 thousand deafblind, both children and adults.
We have come together and set up SEDB to address the gap in the services for Deaf and Deafblind people, and to create greater awareness through advocacy works in the country.
Specific assistance in the form of better opportunities for education, vocational traiing, technology and employment will be developed and given.
Deafblindness
Deafblindness is a condition in which a person may have a combination of hearing and visual impairments, causing severe communication, developmental and educational needs.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Article 24 of United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, provides for education of children with deafblindness in the most appropriate languages and modes and means of communication for the individual, and in environments which maximize academic and social development.
In India, although we are signatories to the above accord, we are unable to provide equitable opportunities for the deaf and deafblind, leaving many people without a helping hand at a critical time in their early development and growth. Shortfalls in early learning skills are acknowledged as a critical barrier to the ease of living an independent life.
Legal Status
The society is registered under Indian Act, 1960 (registered. No.589) Dated 20/10/2015
"Please sponsor and support SEDB to improve our fund-raising. Our initial objective is to open a small school for both Deaf and Deafblind children in getting a good start with effective education, like I have had, in India." - Zamir Dhale