Ishtiaq Hussain: Why I set up new Deaf directory Deafscope

It has always been in the back of my mind just how many barriers I faced daily growing up – as I’m sure most of the Deaf community can relate to.

Networking was one of the most difficult barriers for me and trying to find deaf business owners was almost impossible. I am also passionate about travelling and love visiting new places yet there is never any clear information about local sign language access – for me that is vital for the Deaf community.

Networking is a vital tool used by everyone online, however I found it very difficult and time consuming to search for businesses, professionals, social events or venues run by members of the Deaf community with access to sign language.

Even booking an interpreter can take up to two weeks and the same was true when trying to arrange meetings with Deaf-owned businesses and social events within the Deaf community. I also faced the same difficulties in my previous job in trying to promote events and news to the Deaf community – where were they?

Deaf people rely on face to face or word of mouth promotion and social media presence is often scarce due to the limited audience. This was a struggle for me and a major stumbling block in my career progression.

Most deaf people use Facebook as a network and searching tool for anything ‘Deaf’ related – I wanted something more than that, a faster, more readily accessible solution. I realised that networking was weak in the Deaf community yet it’s so important and all businesses and social activities thrive on it. I felt that the access for deaf people was poor and the networking platform was comparably non-existent compared to the mainstream hearing community and this gap had to be filled.

And that’s when the idea suddenly appeared in my head! The biggest missing piece in the networking jigsaw was to have a Deaf directory – an online platform to bring together all Deaf-related businesses, professionals, social events, organisations, venues – all in one place.

I explained the idea to my wife and she excitedly agreed that it was a brilliant idea and that this would be a life-changing event for the entire Deaf community! She realised very well the barriers that we faced growing up and understood my determination to change the status quo. My dream is to make everything accessible to all and she fully supports me.

I then sat down with my daughter and explained the whole story of my new venture. We brainstormed names for the new project and chose “Deafscope” – I felt that this really suited the aims and objectives of what it was all about.

We also planned out the design for the website and its functionality and after six months, we’ve made so much progress. I’ve never been so excited about Deafscope and what it will bring to all of us in the Deaf community.

Being empathic to those who struggled with the same barriers as me during our childhood, teens and young adulthood has been core to my ambition. I want to eradicate such barriers for the Deaf community within the UK and also Worldwide. I believe that having this simple, single directory will have a hugely positive impact in the way deaf people search for services and events to suit their needs.

So what does Deafscope actually mean and what does it do?

Deafscope’s aim is to create a web portal to promote a range of services, businesses, trades, events and organisations that are readily accessible for deaf people to search easily. Imagine a search engine like Google/Bing where everything is Deaf/Sign Language related and friendly – restaurants, cafes, travel guides, garages, theatres, social venues, businesses, surgeries, dentists, solicitors.. the list goes on! There will also be an App which will enable the Deaf community even more access to endless opportunities!

To join Deafscope as a member or as a business, go to
signup.deafscope.co.uk, enter your details and we will keep you all updated as soon as we are ready to launch.

You can also find us on social media-
Instagram- Deafscope Facebook- Deafscope Twitter- deafscope

Watch this space for more updates on Deafscope!

Ish, 45 years old, is profoundly deaf and from Stourbridge. He is a visual vernacular artist, a fluent BSL user who loves to attend theatre, keep fit and socialise with the deaf community. One of his proudest achievements was climbing Everest base camp in 2011 to raise thousands of pounds to build ten new houses for Pakistan after the flood where thousands lost their lives and homes.