{"id":7621,"date":"2021-07-30T15:15:26","date_gmt":"2021-07-30T15:15:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/daastan.com\/blog\/?p=7621"},"modified":"2021-07-30T15:36:31","modified_gmt":"2021-07-30T15:36:31","slug":"inclusivity-in-the-world-we-live-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/daastan.com\/blog\/inclusivity-in-the-world-we-live-in\/","title":{"rendered":"Lit\u2019EDTech Fiesta | 16 | Inclusivity In The World We Live In"},"content":{"rendered":"

In episode 16<\/strong> of Lit’EDTech Fiesta, Dastaan<\/a> invites Mr. Ali Shabbar<\/a> to discuss Deaf Tawk.The app Deaf Tawk<\/strong> hopes to make the world an easier place to navigate for those with disabilities.\u00a0<\/strong>The session also provides constructive points regarding inclusivity in the current world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meet Ali Shabbar<\/h2>\n

Being blind himself, the CEO<\/strong> of Deaf Tawk, Ali Shabbar<\/strong> offers incredible insight into the kind<\/em> of world he lives in. Moreover, he shares his visions for a future with inclusivity. Since the founders of the application are differently-abled people, it acts as an honest attempt at inclusivity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Learning with disability: How Inclusive is it?<\/h2>\n

In the status quo, not much is available for the disabled when it comes to learning opportunities. According to Mr. Shabbar<\/strong> the education and resources available are limited as the <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cmainstream authors are not catering towards people with disabilities\u201d.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There also appears to be a generalized<\/em> view of challenges faced due to disability, even though they exist on a spectrum<\/strong>. According to Mr. Shabbar, the blind have it easier as compared to the deaf. It is because the former \u201ccan communicate, observe<\/em>\u201d. Thus, allowing them job opportunities even in Pakistan, such as doing \u201cvoiceovers in kindle<\/em>\u201d<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, the gap<\/strong> between learning and disability is quite wide as there appear to be only upwards of 300<\/strong> \u201ceducational institutions for people with disabilities<\/em>\u201d. However, in contrast to the number of people with disabilities, it\u2019s very less<\/em>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Technology as a bridge: Inclusivity and disability<\/h2>\n

Apps like Deaf Tawk<\/strong> aim to bridge<\/em> the inclusivity gap. On one level it helps bypass the \u201ccommunication barrier<\/em>\u201d as they have \u201c140000 hours<\/strong> of language communication\u201d. In other words, it effectively acts as a \u201cgoogle translate for the deaf community<\/em>\u201d. Deaf Tawk has been responsible for around 700 people<\/strong> who got \u201cemployment opportunities in Pakistan<\/em>\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, it involves the participation of likeminded<\/em> people in order to help it achieve its purpose. According to Mr. Shabbar \u201ceverybody can be an interpreter<\/em>\u201d, and through a 4 month course<\/strong> they can start working with Deaf Tawk.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lastly, Deaf Tawk also does content translation. Their team is currently \u201cworking with universities to translate books\u201d<\/em>, thus making learning opportunities more accessible.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is the world an inclusive place?<\/h2>\n

As of now, there are organizations that work towards helping disabled people such as <\/span>Idea or WDF.\u00a0<\/b>However Mr. Shabbar also voices his anxieties related to the pressures to succeed within such a market. For if they fail, \u201cno one will invest in companies with founders with disabilities<\/em>\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n