SIGN-SRHR Mobile Application

Out of the 12.4% population of persons with disabilities in Uganda, More than 1,083,649 are Deaf persons (UBOS 2014) National Housing and Urban Population Statistics.

Our innovation responds to the high unmet need for Deaf friendly Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights(SRHR) information and services among Deaf young people and refugees mainly due to the lack of information in accessible formats, low Deaf education, and literacy levels that limit the ability to understand written information and limited sign language skills among health and humanitarian workers leading to communication barriers hindering services delivery.

Additionally, persons with disabilities including Deaf young people often have little or no basic knowledge of SRHR and lack the power to negotiate safe sex according to WHO/UNFPA Guidance Note, 2009. This means that Deaf young people are potentially at elevated vulnerability risk to Sexual transmitted infections, teenage and unintended pregnancies and poor health outcomes.

Currently, our solution comprises of two major components; 

1. First of all comprehensive peer sexuality education component. Here we  Develop and disseminate digital learning video content on various sexual reproductive health topics on our YouTube channel

https://youtube.com/@disabilityinnovationsugand3064 

2. The second component of our work is the sign language training program aimed at equipping health workers with sign language skills for inclusive service delivery.

Have so far managed to register a number of achievements such as having developed and disseminated 4 accessible learning video content on SRH and equipped 190 health workers with basic sign language skills. 

Presently our priority area of focus is building an inclusive mobile application to enable us to scale up the impact of our work especially widening content scope of coverage(developing more SRH video content), expand geographical areas of coverage to benefit Deaf refugees and those in other countries as well as make it possible for Deaf young people to ask burning questions, seek mental health support and easy access to services directly on video call.

The mobile application will comprises of accessible digital learning video content on SRHR in sign language as well as interaction features that enable Deaf young people to video call counselors/ health workers fluent in sign language and linkage/referral to friendly services. 

Our solution works in the following ways; 

1. It enables deaf young people to access easily understandable CSE information anywhere and anytime.

2. With captions and images our content can be easily understood by non-sign language users as well as those with low education levels.

3. Inclusive digital learning content in Uganda, Congo, Burundi and Southern Sudan sign languages that also benefit Deaf refugees.

4. It makes possible for young people book appointment and professionally interact with counselors on video call. This includes linkage and referral to friendly services.

5. The sign language training package of the solution builds the capacity of health workers to deliver deaf friendly services.

Deaf young people and those who are refugees in Uganda are the primary intended beneficiaries of our solution. Secondary beneficiaries will also be health workers in SRH field and counselors. 

Basically, our innovation will enable Deaf young people and refugees in Uganda to digitally access to friendly SRHR information in a language they understand best given the existing of accessibility challenges. 

By developing accessible digital content on SRH , providing counselling services online and sign language training of health workers. Our innovation will ensure availability of Deaf friendly information as well as create potential for improvement of existing SRHR services. 

First of all, our team won the 2021 Human Rights Innovation Award. This means that we have the capacity to drive change as well as effectively implement our innovation

In the second place, our team boasts with a wealth of experience in the management of Deaf friendly and sign language projects.

Additionally, the team also comprises of Deaf professional counselors and peer educators with a good understanding of the challenges and issues persons with disabilities face. 

With the first pilot project, a prototype of our first digital learning video content was done. We conducted testing and obtained and documented vital user feedback

So far 1685 users have been reached on YouTube 

 https://youtube.com/@disabilityinnovationsugand3064

Also with the sign language training of health workers, 190 health workers have been equipped with basic sign language skills

There are a number of aspects that make our solution Innovative;

1. Unlike existing information on SRH in written and audio form, our will be in sign language and video content formats.

2. The solution will use Deaf friendly interaction features where by Deaf young people can professionally connect and engage directly with trained health workers and service providers like police on video call to ask burning questions, seek mental health support, referral to access services as well as report incidences of Gender based violence.

3. Our Inclusive mobile application is 4 in 1, it will have features that enable Deaf young people including refugees from Uganda, Congo, Burundi and southern Sudan/ Rwanda to access information in respective country sign languages.

1. Create a healthy, safe and well informed/ empowered community of more than 5000 Deaf young people in Uganda, Congo, Burundi and Southern Sudan by Increasing Digital access to and ensure availability of friendly comprehensive sexuality education information in Sign language through an application.

2. Contribute towards improved communication and service delivery by equipping 100 service providers (health workers and police) with Sign Language skills. 

3. Scale up the impact of our work to benefit refugees from Congo, Burundi, Southern Sudan.

Given the existence of several accessibility challenges, our solution seeks to provide access to sexual reproductive health information and services in a language Deaf young people understand best(Sign language) as their primary medium of communication.

2 full-time volunteer staff

2 part-time staff

4 Volunteer peer educators 

1 sign language interpreter

since May 2021 with a pilot innovation on YouTube

Our company is for persons with disabilities including refugees and is currently being led by persons with disabilities.

95% of our staff are persons with hearing disabilities, additionally, we also provide disability inclusion training including sign language training of health workers and police for inclusive service delivery.

Therefore we are committed towards digital inclusion and creating a barrier-free society for young people with disabilities.

DIU employs  B2BC model to sustain its programs.

Our customers include NGOs, the public sector and individuals like parents/caregivers and Deaf young people

Also users include Deaf young people and refugees with access to internet and smartphones.

Business services include;

1. Comprehensive sexuality education to Deaf young people in Sign language through an application - Content access fees- 13.32 USD (proposed)

2. 3-month basic Sign language training course- 66.58 USD per trainee.

2. Disability inclusion consultancy services- 266.32 USD above.

3. Peer education services to schools - 159.79 USD above

4. Counselling services - 13.32 USD per session

In addition to grants, the idea is to provide comprehensive sexuality education services at affordable cost. That is to say charging affordable fees for Young people to access our content to raise funding to sustain our programs