LALIF Sparking a New Dawn of Hope For Neglected Deaf Blind

Disabled farmers in Kashmir are adapting agricultural practices through locally-fabricated tool modifications, adjusted work timing, and traditional soil/seed management techniques that reduce physical labor by 15-50% and enable them to continue farming despite increasing climate stress.

A medical tactile examiner (MTE) is a new, emerging profession for blind and visually impaired women in India and Europe that trains women to give tactile breast examinations to detect signs of breast cancer. The MTE profession originated in Germany but since 2017, 18 MTEs have been trained in India, and have since screened thousands of women and participated in several breast cancer awareness campaigns.

Several companies’ newfound openness to remote work is leading to opportunities for people whose disabilities make in-person work difficult or impossible to find stable employment. The share of adults with disabilities who are working has soared in the past two years, far surpassing its pre-pandemic level and outpacing gains among people without disabilities.

Sightsavers is an international organization that focuses on the prevention of avoidable blindness and the promotion of equality for people with visual impairments and other disabilities in the workforce through its Inclusion Works project. Since its inception in 2020, Sightsavers has helped more than 200 individuals with visual impairments transition into new employment.

In a country where the prevalence of blindness for all ages is 4.2% of the population, Zions Assistive Tech Solutions (ZATS) trains people who are blind on how to effectively use technology like phones and computers.

The Transition Academy connects people with mental and physical disabilities with helpful resources to increase their access to jobs and higher education. The group also connects families with resources, experiences, and knowledge to create a smooth transition out of high school for students with disabilities and provides a Facebook community for families to connect and share insights.

The Mongolian Association of Sign Language Interpreters launched a free social media service that provides interpreters for people with hearing impairments. Using Facebook Messenger, the service allows clients to use video calls to talk with a sign language interpreter, who then reaches out to an institution or an individual on the client’s behalf. The initiative has six sign language interpreters and has fielded 3,543 calls. Interpreters help people get information and resolve problems, with most clients seeking assistance communicating with medical professionals and government welfare offices.

Albergo Etico prepares people with disabilities for work in the hotel industry, using training based on the Montessori method. The "download" method helps people learn job skills at their own pace, translating lessons for people with various cognitive abilities. Training begins with their families, doing household chores in their own home. Trainees now work in eight Italian cities, plus three other countries. The investment pays off both economically and socially, as trainees gain autonomy and self-sufficiency.

Washington State is pioneering savings accounts for people with disabilities that won't penalize them for saving for financial stability by barring them from essential federal aid programs. The accounts are tax-free and allow participants to save at least $15,000 a year, which can be withdrawn at any time or saved until retirement, with some limitations to who is eligible for the account. As word of the ABLE Savings Plan spreads, the self-supporting program is helping ensure that people with disabilities are not relegated to living in destitution to qualify for federal benefits.

The Inclusive Friends Association, in partnership with SIMBED Learners School and Nigeria's National Information Technology Development Agency, implemented a targeted digital literacy program that trained 20 women and girls with disabilities across Abuja. The two-day workshop taught participants essential digital skills including content creation, social media management, Google tools, online safety, and advocacy techniques to show them how to create content and potentially generate an income online.