BEACON INCLUSIVE
A mobile application that enables accessibility of health care for marginalized groups in society
Written by Allan Okoth
*Please Upload User Experience Map (as attachment) and any additional insights gathered from Beneficiary Feedback in this field
User Experience Map pdf Link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=11DRj1okEKQ-UJGY8D7KGZbsMUSVnpL3yWhy does the target community define this problem as urgent and/or a priority? How is the idea leveraging and empowering community assets to help create an environment for success? (1000 characters)
How does the idea fit within the larger ecosystem that surrounds it? Urgent needs are usually a symptom of a larger issue that rests within multiple interrelated symptoms - share what you know about the context surrounding the problem you are aiming to solve. (500 characters)
Societies in Africa have grown up seeing Disability as a bad omen, hence this kickstarted marginalization that later transcended into governments, with language barrier between Deaf Culture and mainstream society, sign language interpreters have been the only communication link between, however, deaf special schools are underfunded by the government and community don’t see Sign Interpreter as a great career thus explaining their inadequacy in society, with the law requiring that all institutionsHow does the idea affect or change the fundamental nature of the larger ecosystem that surrounds it (as described above) in a new and/or far-reaching way? (500 characters)
What will be different within the target community as a result of implementing the idea? What is the scope and scale of that difference? How long will it take to see that difference and how will it be sustained beyond BridgeBuilder support? (500 characters)
How has the idea evolved or responded to your user research during the Beneficiary Feedback Phase and any further insights provided if you participated in the Expert Feedback Phase? (1000 characters)
We’ve had greater user knowledge and switched the application design to both include users that have been fully deaf in their whole life and those who gained deafness in the course of their lives. Moreover, we’ve understood that sign language differs in different locations, hence we will need to translate into all versions available.What are the key steps for implementation in the next 1-3 years? (You can attach a timeline or GANTT chart in place of a written plan, if desired.) (1000 characters)
Timeline link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GXaynI68iJaU0uD02J62EE_oSgAEGeXg The project will take 27 months, with redesign, development and testing allocated the first 14 months and later onsite testing, going live ,user training activities and evaluation to be conducted in the following 13 months. risks were taken into account and mitigation plans allocated to each risk, these way, we will be able to complete set activities in the set time. More details are in the Timeline Attached.Describe the individual or team that will implement this idea (if a partnership, please explain breakdown of roles and responsibilities for each entity). (Feel free to share an organizational chart or visual description of your team). (500 characters)
Ruben Vallega: Strategic Advisor and Linkages Lincoln Njogu: Technology Advisor Allan Okoth: Product Manager Pauline Gitau: Chief Technical Officer Steve Munasye: Engagement Officer Ali Mohammed: Financial Officer Liverpool VCT: Partner Organization Job Ayubu: Sign TranslatorWhat aspects of the idea would potential BridgeBuilder funds primarily support? (500 characters)
Human Capital, Materials and Consumables, Production cost, Press and marketing, Equipment, Travel and subsistence, Evaluations and dissemination, Administrative
Explain your project idea (2,000 characters)
Lower understanding of sign language has left the deaf community marginalized and unable to access basic health care services. This has been attributed to the fact that Global hearing aid production only meets 10% of the Deaf population and Number of professionally trained Sign Language Interpreters is way too minimal to serve the 446 Million deaf population. As a result, Alfred Weinrib, an 83-cancer stricken deaf person died without even knowing his diagnosis after 3 long hospitals failed to provide a sign language interpreter for 7 months. Alfred is not alone, there are more than 10,000 cases reported every year in Africa. Beacon chat is the solution, built on Internet of Things, we provide an inclusive communication platform for Deaf and Hearing that uses Natural Language Processing to translate between Sign and Text. This way, individuals like Alfred can access basic health care without the need of a sign language expert. Unveiling Beacon Chat, a mobile app providing inclusive communication platform for both deaf individuals, applying Natural Language Processing to translate between sign language and text. This way, individuals like Alfred can access healthcare without the need of a sign interpreter, reducing the cost of accessing health by 94% from $150/hr to $9/lifetime Our impact is aligned with the achievement of SDGs where, by facilitating access of sexual health for disabled women in underserved areas we help in achievement of Goal 5: GENDER EQUALITY, and 10 REDUCED INEQUALITY. Through our prototype, we managed to impact more than 1600 deaf lives. One of our success stories is Atieno, a deaf girl who works at a local health center. In her daily role she interacts with more than 50 youth seeking sexual health consultation. Through Beacon Chat, she is able to attend to her patients without the need of a sign interpreter. Beacon Chat gave Atieno a chance to partake in the achievement of Universal Health Coverage as a result we help achieve Goal 3: HealthWho are the beneficiaries? (1,000 characters)
How is your idea unique? (1,000 characters)
Beacon Chat is universally designed, making it inclusive and operates at no cost regardless of network or Wi-Fi coverage, making it cheap and available. Compared to Hearing Aid, whose production only meets 10% of the deaf population, SignAll who have a Translation booth which is not portable and is expensive, Sign Language Interpreters, who are hard to find and expensive to consult on hourly feesIdea Proposal Stage (choose one)
- Early Adoption: I have completed a pilot and analyzed the impact of that pilot on the intended users of the idea. I have begun to expand the pilot for early adoption.
Tell us more about your organization/company (1 sentence and website URL)
Expertise in sector
- 1-2 years
Organization Filing Status
- No, but we are a formal initiative through an accelerator, hub, or other entity.
In 3-4 sentences, tell us the inspiration or story that encouraged you to start this project.
In 2017, I was diagnosed with partial hearing loss after a musical career working as a DJ like Avicii. What followed next, was a distressing time in life, where I underwent isolation and distress. Not to be defined by my disability, I developed the MVP for Beacon Chat to help me with the basic communication, but it is the Alfred Weinrib story, that led me to pursue Beacon Inc. When I look back, I see it was a tough decision leaving Djing, but Beacon Inc has given me fulfillmentPlease explain how your selected topic areas are influenced, in the local context of your project (1,000 characters).
Health is core to Human development and prosperity, since heathy people are better able to contribute to the social, political and economic development of their communities and countries. Studies show that good health has a positive effect on development and that decreases in overall morbidity and mortality can help drive productivity and economic growth. Our project addresses inequalities and exclusion that act as barriers to accessing health services for the most marginalized and vulnerable people. healthy community lead to better economic growth and as a result lead us to a path of prosperity. When people are barred from enjoying particular rights, conflict arises as a result and further leads to violence. Vulnerable Groups have been marginalized by society and thus unable to access basic services like education and health care. This has further scaled levels of gender based violence on vulnerable groups since they are unable to ask for help.Who will work alongside your organization in the project idea? (1,000 characters)
In Nairobi, Kenya the deaf community at the moment are fragmented in special schools where they get special education and in this schools are managed by Government sponsored initiatives and Non-Governmental Organizations. One that stood out during the research is Liverpool VCT, they are an NGO that provides sexual and reproductive health consultation to persons with disabilities and have a wide coverage in the city. Beyond that, I have worked with some of their employees who are deaf and will be easy to foster ultimate partnership that will ensure scalability of the impact across the 780,000 deaf individuals across Kenya.Please share some of the top strengths identified in the community which your project will serve (500 characters)
Working with Liverpool VCT will be beneficial to the project, since they employ both deaf and hearing in their workforce and more to that have VCT Centers (Locations for Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS Testing) across the country. Their setup will be able to test applicability of the application. In fact, yesterday we initiated successful partnership talks that will see Beacon Chat rollout across its (Liverpool VCT) centers across the countryGeographic Focus
East African Community, with more than 1,000,000 deaf individualsHow many months are required for the project idea? (500 characters)
27 monthsDid you submit this idea to our 2017 BridgeBuilder Challenge? (Y/N)
- No
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Team (2)
Pauline Gitau
Role added on team:
"Technology Officer | Programming"
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