Addressing the critical gap in language acquisition and education among deaf children in underserved countries
TLC Global Deaf Foundation
We imagine a world where every child
— no matter their ability to hear —
can communicate, learn, and thrive.
Who we are:
TLC Global Deaf Foundation is the independently funded, international arm of The Learning Center for the Deaf (TLC), a leading school for the deaf near Boston, Massachusetts USA. TLC Global is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
How we help:
We promote bilingual education -integrating sign language with the local language - to help deaf children develop strong communication skills and access quality education.
TLC Global provides teacher training and curriculum development support tailored to the unique needs of deaf students in under-resourced schools.
Why it’s critical:
Early language access is crucial in preventing language deprivation and isolation, especially in the critical period of language acquisition from birth to age five. For deaf children, learning sign language during this critical time strengthens language development, cognitive skills, and emotional well-being. It lays the foundation for written language, supporting academic success and lifelong learning.
The Challenge
Millions of deaf children in low-and middle-income countries lack basic language skills, critically impacting their cognitive, educational, and social development.
Statistics
In Ethiopia, 95% of deaf persons are excluded from formal education entirely; almost none will ever access formal employment. (NIH, 2018).
Across India and parts of Africa, only 1% of deaf students have access to eduction in sign language (World Federation of the Deaf).
Underlying Issues
Reliance on an oral-only approach is ineffective for most severely and profoundly deaf children. Most educators are inadequately trained to work with children with hearing loss.
A world where all deaf children have unrestricted access to language and the opportunity to thrive
Our Vision
In many under-resourced countries, millions of deaf children face an invisible crisis— they grow up without access to language, whether spoken or signed. Without communication, their cognitive and social development is severely limited. Many experience isolation, unable to connect with their communities or build independent, fulfilling lives.
But this does not have to be their reality.
At The Learning Center for the Deaf (TLC) and other schools serving deaf children worldwide, we’ve seen firsthand how bilingual education - combining sign language with the local language - empowers deaf children to thrive.
Bringing bilingual education to deaf children in underserved countries
Our Mission
We are dedicated to transforming the lives of many thousands of deaf children by introducing the proven bilingual approach to deaf schools in global low-and middle-income regions.
TLC Global is providing much needed teacher training and curriculum support. Through visits to many schools for the deaf in under-resourced regions, we have learned that this is a most critical need.
Our focus includes:
Addressing the effects of language deprivation on learning, social development and emotional well-being.
Creating visually accessible learning materials
Adapting instruction to meet diverse student needs
Enhancing classroom setup and routines for effective deaf education
Training interpreters
Supporting audiology services
Since TLC is primarily funded by U.S. State-specific special education funding, TLC Global was established as a separate 501(c)(3) charitable organization, extending their impact beyond the U.S.
Our First Partner School
Visions Academy School for the Deaf, Ethiopia
TLC Global has partnered with Visions Academy School for the Deaf in Hawassa, Ethiopia, to help them grow and to demonstrate the impact of the bilingual approach to deaf education.
Visions Academy is a newly established school with an urgent need for teacher training and curriculum development.
Currently, the school serves over 70 students in Kindergarten through Grade 4, with plans to expand to Grade 12. The intention is to reach hundreds of children from communities throughout the Southern Ethiopia region.
