Inspiration

I grew up as a CODA, a Child of Deaf Adults, in a family where my parents and brothers are Deaf. Growing up between the Deaf and hearing worlds gave me an early understanding of the communication barriers, limited opportunities, and everyday challenges that Deaf people can face. That experience eventually became action through Abey Khao, our family initiative in Pakistan. What started as an effort to create meaningful employment opportunities for Deaf people became a Deaf-staffed food business where customers were encouraged to communicate in sign language. Our journey was later featured by Reuters, bringing international attention to the idea that accessibility and economic opportunity can be created when Deaf people are given the right environment to succeed.

But Abey Khao also taught me that employment was only one part of a much larger challenge. Access to education, skills development, career preparation, communication, and professional networks are all connected. That realization led us to EdDeaf. Instead of addressing only one employment opportunity at a time, we wanted to build an ecosystem that could help Deaf and hard of hearing people learn, develop skills, prepare for careers, and connect with opportunities.

What it does

EdDeaf is an accessible learning and career development platform designed for Deaf and hard of hearing people. It brings together accessible education, AI powered tutoring, career development, and community in one place. Learners can access self paced courses, receive personalized support from an AI Tutor, track their learning progress, prepare for employment through career readiness programs, and connect with mentors, peers, and employers. The goal is to create one continuous pathway: Learn → Get Support → Build Career Skills → Connect with Opportunities EdDeaf builds on our previous work in Pakistan, where we trained approximately 2,000 people in sign language, provided training to 1,500 Deaf individuals, and delivered career preparation training to 105 Deaf participants. Our first test project received 300 applications from more than 25 cities, with 36 participants selected.

How we built it

We built EdDeaf around what we learned from working directly with the Deaf community rather than starting with technology alone. We mapped the journey from learning to employment and identified where support often becomes disconnected. Based on that experience, we designed the platform around four connected areas: Learning, AI Support, Career, and Community. For the hackathon, we focused on translating programs that we have previously delivered through live and online sessions into a more scalable digital experience. We also designed an AI Tutor that supports learners through explanations, hints, questions, practice, and feedback rather than simply providing answers. Link: https://d646rc8s560s1.cloudfront.net/#/about

Challenges we ran into

One of our biggest challenges was figuring out how to digitize programs that traditionally depend heavily on human interaction without losing the sense of connection and support that makes them valuable. Accessibility was another major consideration. Deaf and hard of hearing people are not a single, uniform user group. People have different communication preferences, educational backgrounds, accessibility needs, and career goals, so we had to think beyond a one size fits all approach. We also had to determine the right role for AI. Our goal is not to replace instructors, mentors, or human interaction, but to use AI to provide additional learning support when an instructor or mentor may not be immediately available.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are especially proud that EdDeaf is not starting only as an idea. Our work has already reached Deaf learners and communities through education, skills development, sign language training, and career preparation programs. We have trained approximately 1,500 Deaf individuals, provided sign language training to approximately 2,000 people, and delivered career preparation training to 105 Deaf participants.
Our first test project also attracted 300 applications from more than 25 cities, demonstrating strong interest in accessible learning and career development opportunities.
We are proud that the hackathon has given us an opportunity to take those experiences and begin transforming them into a platform that can eventually reach people beyond the geographic limits of our previous programs.

What we learned

Our journey has taught us that accessibility alone is not enough. People need pathways. Education needs to connect to skills. Skills need to connect to career preparation. Career preparation needs to connect to employers, mentors, networks, and real opportunities. We also learned that technology works best when it strengthens human support rather than replacing it. EdDeaf therefore combines technology and AI with instructors, mentors, community members, and employers. Most importantly, we learned that the Deaf community must be part of the design process. Building with the community, rather than simply building for the community, will remain central to how EdDeaf develops.

What's next for EdDeaf

Our next step is to continue developing the EdDeaf MVP and validate it with Deaf and hard of hearing users in Houston. We plan to work with learners, Deaf community organizations, educators, mentors, employers, and technology partners to test the platform, gather feedback, and measure how effectively it supports learning and career progression. What we learn from Houston will help us refine the model before expanding to other communities across the United States. Our long term vision is for EdDeaf to become an accessible ecosystem where Deaf and hard of hearing people can learn, receive support, develop professionally, build connections, and access meaningful career opportunities.