The Yunikee organization, based in Hyderabad, supports people with hearing impairments in India. Its founders—Nita Gopalkrishnan, Chaitanya Kotapalli, and Rahul Jain—combined their efforts to create a platform aimed at ensuring equal opportunities for deaf individuals.
Nita Gopalkrishnan, who grew up in a family of deaf parents, began her journey as a special educator. Recognizing the lack of resources for children with hearing impairments, she became the driving force behind creating Yunikee with her husband Chaitanya Kotapalli and colleague Rahul Jain.
Chaitanya, an IT specialist, decided to leave his corporate job after 25 years to join Nita in establishing this social initiative. Rahul Jain, an ISL instructor who has worked with Nita since 2017, brought a unique perspective through his own life experience with hearing impairment.
The idea for the platform arose during the COVID-19 pandemic. The trio discussed the injustice of a situation where hearing students could continue their studies online while students with hearing impairments were deprived of this basic right. They concluded that this discrimination went beyond the educational process and considered creating a space that provided equal access to work and education.
The name Yunikee comes from Telugu and means 'I exist. Do not ignore me.' Chaitanya explains that this phrase serves as a reminder that deaf people cannot be identified unless they are communicated with, and through Yunikee, they aim to give them a sense of identity.
Rahul emphasized that there was a near absence of training platforms for deaf people in the community. Yunikee aims to fill this gap by helping adult deaf individuals become self-reliant. He noted that many are forced to continue family businesses due to limited labor market opportunities, and Yunikee gives them the chance to become independent.
Yunikee has provided services to over 50,000 deaf people across India through various projects and campaigns. The 'Sign Medium' program has taught over 10,000 young people the ISL sign language since 2020. Thanks to a strong response to a social media campaign, Yunikee now offers over 120 different courses, including trading, web development, and IELTS.
Dibendu, one of the participants, shared that learning sign language allowed him to communicate freely with his deaf family and friends. Now 25-year-old Dibendu works in web development and is satisfied with the prospects.
A distinctive feature of Yunikee is its multifaceted impact. The 'Champions League' program assists deaf individuals wishing to start their own businesses. The team provides support through sign language workshops, assistance with legal formalities, and accredited accounting services.
The first cohort of the 'Champions League' program is underway, and Chaitanya reported that three out of nine started businesses are already operational. One of these is 'Sign Skill Bridge,' founded by Vishnu Prasath from Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
Vishnu stated that the incubation program helped him because he was able to establish contacts over the last three months. He noted that the program is the first in India to make startups and business creation accessible to entrepreneurs from the deaf community.
Today, Vishnu's educational center supports over 150 deaf individuals, offering courses such as web development, 3D drawing, and graphic design.
Yunikee's work also includes partnership projects. For instance, in 2022, 10 deaf girls in Pakistan received training in hairstyling and makeup, after which they opened their own salons, according to Nita.
In addition to access to primary employment, Yunikee helps deaf people achieve what is rightfully theirs. The organization has successfully prepared over 140 deaf individuals to take state exams, of whom 40 found employment. Nita explained that despite a one percent reservation for the deaf in the public sector, these vacancies often remain unfilled because candidates fail the exams.
Anil Mishra, who took a banking course in sign language last year, now works in a bank in Ahmedabad. He attributes his success to the help of Sagar, one of the 40 members of the Yunikee team who teach and supervise the programs.
Nita added that the team of 40 consists of deaf adults, each contributing with their life experience and understanding of the community's needs. Despite the achievements, Nita and other team members believe that 'there is still a long way to go.'