DeafKidz International, the charity responding to the protection, health, wellbeing, and education needs of deaf children, has developed a ‘you’re on mute’ detector to help raise funds for deaf children globally. The new tool turns the classic phrase into charitable donations and is launched this Deaf Awareness Week (3 – 9 May).
Over the last year, the world has been thrown into a new way of living and working, and with that, a new set of communication frustrations has arrived, including the predictable moment when someone tries to speak on mute. For a deaf child in a low-income country where no one knows sign language, their entire community is often on mute, and unlike many of us on video calls, they cannot have their access to communication turned back on with a click of a button. With this new initiative, DeafKidz International aims to change the situation by raising funds to remove communication barriers for thousands of deaf children globally.
The charity has developed the ‘you’re on mute’ detector as a fun and interactive tool for people to use in their online business meetings and digital social gatherings. Using Google’s voice recognition technology, the tool will detect whenever the phrase is mentioned and will prompt a donation amount at the end of each call based on the total figure. The money raised will go towards empowering deaf children and young people across the globe to lead their fullest lives safely and in their communication mode of choice, supporting them to succeed just like their hearing peers.
Steve Crump, Founder and Chair of DeafKidz International, said:
“Deafness is the third-largest disability globally but the least resourced. This leads to deaf children and young people being especially vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, denied the means to live safely without fear of abuse and denied access to communication. This ground-breaking campaign will lead to a better future for thousands of deaf children across the globe.”
To access the ‘you’re on mute’ detector and help make a difference this Deaf Awareness Week, please visit: unmutetodonate.com.
