The World Health Organization estimates that 2.5 billion people would have some degree of hearing loss by 2050. In Kenya, a tech entrepreneur has come up with a solution to make everyday life easier for these people.
AssistALL is a digital solution developed by Kenyan firm Signs Media. It connects people with hearing impairments to a sign language interpreter via its mobile app. The solution was launched in 2022 by Luke Muleka.
According to Luke Muleka, the idea for assistAll was born during the coronavirus pandemic when he realized that deaf and hearing-impaired people were completely isolated with the requirements to wear face masks. Indeed, such people communicate with facial expressions and, with the mask-wearing requirement, they were unable to communicate effectively with interpreters. That's when the idea of developing the assistALL application was born.
AssistALL currently has an Android app, with the iOS version under development. Before accessing the platform, users need to register and add a profile picture. Companies or commercial entities may also use the application to promote the integration of their deaf staff. In this case, they register as corporate users.
Luke Muleka explains that the application was developed to promote the socio-professional integration of people with hearing disabilities. Hence, everyone can use it. The Kenyan start-up charges 30 Kenyan shillings (around $0.21) per minute, so users need to top-up their accounts before booking interpreters’ services.
To top-up, they simply need to click on the "Transactions" tab and follow the instructions to top up the account via M-Pesa, PayPal, or Visa cards.
By March 2023, the start-up was claiming over 7,000 users. According to Play Store data, its application has already been downloaded more than 5,000 times. It dreams of entering the Egyptian, South African, and Nigerian markets. "To penetrate the huge Nigerian market, we're looking for $1 million. These funds will enable us to develop our artificial intelligence (AI) to reach as many people as possible," the founder says.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
