Deaf Reach North America
Empowering Deaf Children through Education. Deaf Reach NA envisions a future where education is a reality for all deaf children in Pakistan, as we work together with our local communities to educate, empower, and inspire.
Less than 5% of Pakistan’s estimated one million deaf children attend school. Deaf Reach is the only branch networks of schools catering to the Deaf community, providing a full circle solution from education and skills training, teacher development and parent training, to job placement and community inclusion.
Born deaf into a family where five of his nine siblings were also deaf, Imtiaz Ali grew up in a small village, without access to education or sign language.
He felt extremely isolated, and his mother worried deeply about his future, especially after his father passed away during the pandemic. His life was full of limitations...until one day everything changed!
At 15 years of age, Imtiaz joined our Deaf Reach School in Rashidabad. For the first time, he saw others like him: signing, learning, dreaming. Although a late starter he worked very hard, determined to catch up. He not only taught himself, but also his deaf siblings and his mother who joined sign language classes to connect with her children. The day he placed first in class, both mother and son cried tears of pride, possibility, and hope.
Deaf Reach gave Imtiaz an education, as well as confidence, dignity, and a new way of seeing himself. Today, he works as a cashier officer at Habib Bank Ltd. in Hyderabad, proudly supporting his family. His colleagues have learned sign language, and his workplace has become a space of diversity and respect.
“I used to plead with God to be able to hear,” he says. “Now, I am proud to be part of the Deaf community. Deaf Reach gave me that pride. We are not different, we are equal. We just speak a different language.”
Imtiaz’s journey is a testament to what is possible when deaf children are given a chance to learn, to grow, and to thrive.
Financials
Programs
Deaf Reach Schools & Colleges
Deaf Reach Schools, Training Centers and Colleges provide formal education, academic literacy and vocational skills training to deaf children and youth in an enabling environment where students can excel. There are currently 9 Deaf Reach Schools educating 2,200+ students annually, located in Karachi, Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Rashidabad-Tando Allahyar, Sukkhur, Lahore, Jhelum & Nowshera.
Parent Training Program
Deaf Reach strives to nurture family relationships by supporting families and parents of deaf students through its Parent Training Program. Monthly sign language and literacy classes are provided at all Deaf Reach Schools to enable parents to be active participants in their deaf child’s development, as well as to improve their own literacy skills.
Teacher Training Program
Deaf Reach regularly hosts Teaching Training Seminars, and has developed a Teacher Internship Program, one of the first of its kind. Since the program’s initiation in 2005, 800 teachers have been trained as educators of the Deaf and 210 of these are currently on staff at Deaf Reach schools.
Job Placement Program
As part of its full-circle educational program, Deaf Reach’s Job Placement program locates and facilitates employment opportunities for its graduates and the greater Deaf community. Since the program’s inception in 2015, over 2,750 young deaf men and women have received employment. Deaf Reach partners with numerous companies, ranging from the textile industry, banking, hospitality services, pharma, and more.
Pakistan Sign Language (PSL)
For the first time in Pakistan, Deaf Reach has developed Pakistan Sign Language (PSL) Learning Resources to bridge the existing gap in educational materials for the Deaf. This innovative project sponsored by Ilm-Ideas, features a 7,500 word visual lexicon in both English and Urdu on a searchable web portal, DVD, and mobile app. The book, 1000 Basic Signs,also contains translations from PSL into the four main regional languages.
Volunteering + Events
Golf Tournament
Deaf Reach held its 10th Annual Golf Tournament at the DA Country and Golf Club (DACGC) on January 12th, 2025.
All proceeds from the tournament went towards supporting the education and skills training of deaf students enrolled in Deaf Reach Schools and Colleges across Pakistan.
Summer Camps
Our annual Summer Camps are a wonderful opportunity to enable our students to have an exciting and productive summer vacation.
A variety of fun-filled activities are designed for students to learn valuable skills and participate in recreational activities such as sports, drama, calligraphy, arts & crafts, IT, and much more in order to help them explore their interests and utilize their vacations productively.