Sense International is working throughout India to ensure that children and adults with deafblindness and multiple disabilities can access advice, support and opportunities to be active members of society. 

In India, an estimated 552,000 people live with deafblindness.*

Few people with deafblindness in India receive specialist support. This significantly reduces their ability to reach their potential and thrive as individuals. Sense International India is the only national-level organisation providing services, information and training to support people with deafblindness across the country. 

We ensure that children with deafblindness are given the best start in life. We work in partnership with hospitals to screen infants for sight and hearing impairments. We also make sure that children with deafblindness receive specialist therapies to help them interact, communicate and move around, and that their parents are well supported. 

We help children with deafblindness to reach their potential through an individualised approach to education. We support the process of developing education plans based on a child’s individual needs. We also work with schools and teachers so that they know how to adapt the curriculum for students with deafblindness and create an inclusive learning environment. 

We help adults with deafblindness to become independent by starting their own business. We support people with deafblindness to identify an area of interest and develop a business concept together with their family members. We also provide relevant training and seed funds to get their business off the ground. 

We work closely with government to make sure that people with deafblindness are considered in policy and practice. We build awareness about deafblindness and provide information and support to people with deafblindness so that they can advocate for their rights. Our efforts led to the recognition of deafblindness as a unique disability in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016. 

Early Identification, India 3,967 babies

were screened for sight and hearing impairments last year.

Inclusive education, India 3,104 children

with deafblindness and complex disabilities received school-based and home-based education through our programmes last year.

Lovely’s Story

Sense International India meant Lovely and her family had finally found people who understood the challenges they faced

A Lovely story: from uncertainty to hope 

* These figures are calculated using a prevalence rate of 0.04% developed by Sense International India on the basis of evidence gained through their work in the region.
You can read more about deafblindness prevalence data here.