'Nothing for Us, Without Us': How This Deaf Woman Is Helping Deaf Kids Learn English Through Sign Language

When Deaf children learn in their own language, learning stops being a struggle and starts feeling natural. That simple shift lies at the heart of SignSetu — a bilingual Indian Sign Language (ISL)-based learning platform built by Deaf entrepreneur Shraddha Agarwal (28).

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Born deaf and raised in Chennai, Shraddha grew up navigating classrooms that were never designed for students like her. From lip-reading her way through lessons to receiving delayed notetaking support at a UK university, she experienced firsthand how Deaf learners are routinely expected to “fit into” systems built for hearing students.

Today, she is the founder of SignSetu. The bilingual literacy platform uses ISL and visual learning tools to teach English to Deaf children in a way that feels intuitive rather than intimidating. Early pilots have already shown a 50–75% jump in word recall with just 15 minutes of daily use.

In this conversation with The Better India, Shraddha talks about her journey, the urgency of Deaf-inclusive education, and why literacy is the single most transformative gift we can give a Deaf child.

Was there a specific moment when you realised you needed to build something for Deaf students like yourself?

I think it was a gradual realisation built over years of sitting in classrooms that weren’t designed for me. Early intervention at Balavidyalaya gave me a strong foundation, but entering mainstream schools was a shock. I was always the only Deaf child, constantly trying to catch up through lip-reading and repeated explanations.

Even at the University of Warwick, where I expected better accessibility, the notetaker would hand me notes only after class. Real-time learning still felt out of reach.

When I returned to India and met so many deaf individuals struggling with the same barriers — some far worse — I realised this wasn’t an isolated problem. It was systemic exclusion.

That’s when SignSetu began taking shape in my mind: a bilingual ISL and English platform designed from the ground up for Deaf learners.

What is the biggest gap you saw in Deaf education, and how does SignSetu address it differently?

The biggest gap is the lack of inclusive, language-first learning.

Our education system is heavily dependent on text, speech, and rote memorisation. Deaf children navigate this without the linguistic foundation that hearing children naturally acquire.

Many of the deaf individuals I’ve met, even those who reached board exam level, struggled to write a few lines independently simply because they were never taught through their natural language.

SignSetu flips this by starting with Indian Sign Language as the primary mode of explanation. Children understand English words through sign videos, pictures, and simple meanings, so comprehension becomes natural rather than forced. Lessons are interactive and visual, with stories, games and instant feedback.

Instead of trying to fit Deaf children into a hearing system, SignSetu adapts the system to Deaf learners and the language they think in.

How exactly does SignSetu use ISL to build literacy skills?

Our approach is bilingual. A child opens a storybook and sees an ISL narrator signing the story while the English text appears alongside it. If they’re unsure of a word, they tap it and immediately see a sign explanation and an image.

Games guide them through sentence building, vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension in a way that feels playful and visual.

We also provide simple ISL guides for parents and teachers, because home and school environments need to support the child’s language. Our MoU with ISLRTC ensures that everything we build meets national ISL standards and is pedagogically sound.

When did you launch SignSetu, and how can a student begin using it?

We launched an early beta version in 2025 and refined it through pilots in Deaf schools in Chennai and Hyderabad. SignSetu works a bit like Duolingo — short, visual micro-lessons that unlock as the child progresses.

Students currently access SignSetu through their schools, partner organisations, or through direct outreach on our website. We’re preparing for a wider public launch next year so that individual learners and parents can use the platform directly.

Early pilots showed a 50–75% improvement in word recall with just 15 minutes a day. What does that mean for long-term literacy?

For Deaf children, vocabulary recall is much more than an academic skill — it’s the gateway to reading, comprehension, and confidence. Those early numbers told us that when children learn visually and in their natural language, everything opens up.

It means they can participate more actively in class, understand what they read, express themselves better, and rely less on intermediaries.

Over time, this leads to educational continuity and stronger chances of employability. These numbers are really a glimpse of what becomes possible when you give Deaf children the tools they deserve.

What’s the most powerful response you’ve received from users so far?

One Deaf school teacher told us that SignSetu should be integrated directly into their syllabus because of how much it was helping students. That kind of validation from educators matters deeply.

A Deaf child told us they loved seeing their mistakes instantly because it helped them correct themselves the next time. That moment captured what we want to achieve — independent learning, self-correction, and confidence.

Why do gaps in disability-inclusive education persist, and how urgent are digital tools like SignSetu in today’s India?

The gaps persist because disability education is often treated as a charitable add-on rather than an area of innovation. We also don’t have enough ISL-trained teachers, and most classrooms still rely on hearing-centric methods.

Digital tools like SignSetu make inclusion scalable. Technology can standardise quality, reduce dependence on scarce human resources, and make ISL-based learning accessible across the country.

If we delay solutions like these, we risk losing yet another generation of Deaf children to preventable illiteracy.

What were the toughest hurdles you faced — technical, cultural, or societal?

Technically, we had to build a completely visual learning system, which meant designing everything — from UI to content — around the needs of Deaf learners. Creating high-quality ISL videos and a visual dictionary took immense iteration.

Culturally, we had to confront misconceptions that Deaf children learn slowly or that sign language is inferior. These beliefs influence families and schools, and changing them requires patience.

On a societal level, disability inclusion is rarely seen as a technology challenge. Funding, recognition, and support are limited. But each challenge reinforced why building SignSetu was necessary.

What does “inclusive design” mean to you, and how did you ensure SignSetu reflects that?

For me, inclusive design starts with lived experience. I know what it means to be in classrooms where you’re expected to adapt to systems not made for you. So I held myself accountable to one principle: “Nothing for us, without us.”

We co-created every part of SignSetu with Deaf educators, students, ISL experts, and parents. I tested prototypes in classrooms myself, observing where children lit up or struggled. If something didn’t feel intuitive to a Deaf child, we redesigned it.

SignSetu is rooted not just in my experience, but in the collective experience of the Deaf community.

How do you imagine SignSetu in mainstream classrooms? Should it be part of the curriculum?

Yes. SignSetu helps classrooms evolve into bilingual spaces where Deaf and hearing children can learn together. Deaf students understand concepts through ISL; hearing children get early exposure to sign language; teachers gain a visual tool to support diverse learners.

This aligns directly with NEP 2020’s vision for inclusive, multilingual, tech-enabled education. Inclusion is not achieved when Deaf children adjust to hearing classrooms; it happens when classrooms adapt to include them.

What are the most common misconceptions about Deaf learners, and how does SignSetu help change them?

Many believe Deaf children learn slowly, but they simply learn visually. Others assume struggles with English indicate low intelligence, when the real issue is lack of access to their natural language. There’s also a mistaken belief that sign language limits cognitive development, when in reality, language deprivation does.

As teachers and hearing peers see Deaf children learn quickly through SignSetu, these stereotypes fall apart on their own. The platform shows that Deaf children are capable, curious, and quick learners when taught through ISL.

Do you see SignSetu eventually supporting higher learning or employment pathways?

Yes. Literacy is just the beginning. Our long-term vision is to build a full ecosystem that supports hearing-impaired individuals across education, skill-building, and eventually employment.

Feedback from events like Purple Fest 2025 showed that our visual learning model could also support other learners with disabilities. We see SignSetu growing into a broader accessibility platform.

How have recognitions from UNDP and other organisations helped your growth?

Awards from UNDP, NCPEDP, EmpowHer, TANSEED and others have given us credibility and opened doors to partnerships and long-term pilots. We’re currently running a major pilot with ISLRTC and working with Deaf schools in Chennai and Hyderabad.

We’ve raised Rs 25 lakh through grants so far, which has helped us refine the platform, scale content, and build a stronger foundation for national rollout. These recognitions show the Deaf community and the ecosystem that our work is valued and needed.

As someone who lived the problem and built the solution, what gives you hope about the future?

I see hope in how India is beginning to understand that Deaf education is really about language access. When teachers start using signs, when hearing children learn ISL, when Deaf children understand concepts clearly for the first time — these are small moments but huge shifts.

Technology accelerates this change. We no longer have to wait decades for traditional systems to adapt. We can equip children with language-first learning right now, no matter where they live.

Most of all, the hope comes from Deaf children themselves — their curiosity and confidence once they finally learn in their own language.

If parents, teachers, or policymakers could make just one change after understanding your work, what should it be?

Prioritise literacy as a fundamental life skill for every Deaf child. When a child gains literacy, they gain independence, confidence, and access to information and opportunities. But literacy cannot develop without language — and for Deaf children, that language is ISL.

If we ensure early, consistent exposure to ISL and visual learning, we can break cycles of exclusion and build pathways to education, employability, and dignity. Language builds literacy, and literacy builds futures. That’s the change every stakeholder must champion.

All images courtesy Shraddha Agarwal and team