Healing Hands: Health Care for PWDs & Deafs

Access to quality health care remains one of the biggest challenges for Deaf persons and persons with disabilities (PWDs), primarily due to communication barriers and lack of inclusive practices within medical facilities. Through this project, Deaf Welfare Awareness Foundation (DWAF) is actively addressing these gaps to ensure dignified, safe, and effective health care access.

A major milestone of this reporting period is the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between DWAF and Indus Hospital. This partnership marks a significant step toward inclusive health services for the Deaf and PWD communities. Under this collaboration, Indus Hospital’s paramedical staff has received basic sign language training, enabling them to communicate more effectively with Deaf patients during registration, consultation, and treatment processes.

This initiative has already improved patient confidence, reduced miscommunication, and enhanced the overall care experience for Deaf and PWD beneficiaries. Families report feeling more respected, understood, and safe while seeking medical treatment.

Building on this success, DWAF is now working to expand this inclusive health care model by onboarding additional hospitals into this network. Our goal is to replicate sign language training and disability-inclusive practices across multiple health facilities, ensuring broader and sustainable access to health care for Deaf and PWD communities.

This progress would not have been possible without the continued support of the GlobalGiving community. Together, we are transforming health care from a barrier into a bridge for inclusion, dignity, and equal access.