In its mission to make the hearing and speech impaired contributing members in society, DEEDS is working towards achieving this objective by focusing on education, training in vocational skills and job placements.

DEEDS supports an institute for the hearing and speech impaired in Dehradun called the Bajaj Institute of Learning where 115 deaf children are given education from the pre-primary level to Class X free of cost.

The aim of DEEDS is not just to educate and train these handicapped people, but also to ensure a job placement after the training is completed. As a guarantee that this objective reaches it's end, DEEDS is presently supporting a unit, which is a division of Titan Industries that makes watchstraps for Titan Industries in Dehradun.

 

DEEDS is also coordinating a project with the Helen Keller Institute for the Deaf and Deaf Blind and Net Vista, a company which will provide work that involves scanning and processing of documents for at least 50 hearing impaired youth. Plans are also on to run a pilot project. This will involve setting up computer training centers in Mumbai. Called the Ashirwad Project, the success of it will determine setting up other similar centers in other parts of the country.

DEEDS recently organized a symposium ‘Emancipation of the Deaf Child’ on 27th April 2004 at the Hotel Hilton Rooftop Club. 19 NGOs from all over Mumbai came together along with heads of industry to meet representatives of the state and central Government for social empowerment for these people. The objective of the seminar was to raise the level of awareness in this area and to find solutions that overcome them. The seminar also aimed at enlightening the common man about this problem and ways to overcome prejudice and preconceived notions regarding this disability.

At this seminar, representatives of the corporate world and the Creative Arts came together and put their minds to work collectively to ensure more effective participation of the deaf in the mainstream of life. The objectives were clearly defined and all participants pledged to take steps in effecting change within their own organisation and places of work. The representatives came from diverse fields such as banking, IT, Sports, Film & theatre, BPO among others. This seminar is the first of its kind to be held in the country, and it provided a platform for the NGO and the Government to come together and work for the benefit of the hearing impaired. A blue-print of action was marked out to inform the Government what was required from them.

Recently, a health check-up camp was organized by DEEDS free of cost in Mumbai as an NGO approached the organization since many children were falling ill due to the weather. The camp was attended by over 300 hearing and speech impaired children from all over Mumbai. There were around 20 doctors attending to them. Well-known film star Salman Khan and other well-known personalities also graced the camp with their presence and contributed generously towards the funds.

On 29th September, World Deaf Day, DEEDS organised a Bharat Natyam Dance Ballet for the hearing impaired which they thoroughly enjoyed. Free food packages were distributed to the kids after the show sponsored by a restaurateur Anjan Chaterjee, a restaurant Just Biryani and Sweet Bengal.

DEEDS also organizes fund raising events for the cause of the hearing handicapped like supper theatres, film shows, fashion shows, ESP and mind shows plus Art exibitions where Hrithik Roshan and Salman Khan came as the chief guests.

On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, October 2, DEEDS helped an NGO host a 3-day workshop in Mumbai again in aid of the hearing impaired. Over 650 kids from all over Maharashtra attended the workshop. On the first day they attended the Mumbai darshan. The 2nd day held a dance and drama competition for them and on the 3rd day DEEDS sponsored their visit to Essel World with snack and rides, which they thoroughly enjoyed. Trophies were given away to the winners of the competition.

DEEDS also sets up programs which provides free training in vocational skills like tailoring, computers, electrical and fruit preservation.