About Us

Mission Statement:

“To ensure high quality speech-language and hearing services are universally accessible.”

Vision Statement:

“We envision a community where anyone can have access to the best speech-language and hearing health services.”

About us:

There are plenty of organizations that support and advocate for medical and educational programs in the minority world¹ countries. However, hardly any of them focus on improving the quality and accessibility of health care services related to communication disorders in the majority world². Hear2Speak is a 100% volunteer-run, non-profit, grassroots organization that was formed to address this need. It focuses on both professional development and client-centered services for underserved people with communication disability (PWCD³) in both the minority and majority world contexts. The organization is open to all. We hope that Hear2Speak will continue to attract more volunteer members to deliver these objectives, allowing the organization to reach its fullest potential.

History:

Hear2Speak is a volunteer-run non-profit organization (formerly called the Indo-International Society of Communication and Hearing Sciences or IISCHS) that was founded on the 28th of February, 2003. The founding members were Aravind Namasivayam, Sharad Govil, Susan Verma and Tejaswi Popuri. They shared a common vision of improving (speech and hearing) health care services and their accessibility in developing countries to meet advanced global standards. The organization was originally formed to address primary objectives related to professional development in the context of the Indian sub-continent. In January 2009, they unanimously decided to expand the organization by broadening its scope to include both professional development and client-centered services, and to branch out to the rest of the majority world¹. In January 2016, the organization’s operations were expanded based on current needs (see Wylie et al., 2013) to be inclusive of underserved people with communication disability (PWCD³) in both minority² and majority world¹ contexts. Although, initiated by a small core group of enthusiastic volunteers earlier on, the organization has grown rapidly in numbers to represent over 150 volunteers across two dozen countries. Our volunteers are people from every walk of life and are not limited to professors, clinicians, scientists, or students in the field of speech and hearing. It is anticipated that this organization will continue to attract more volunteer members in the coming years and deliver its objectives to its fullest potential.

1 & 2. “Majority world refers to countries which comprise the majority of the world’s nations”. The term “Majority world” has replaced the out-of-date/traditional terms such “South”, “Developing world”, “less developed countries” and “third world”. Similarly, “Minority world refers to countries which comprise fewer of the world’s nations”. “Minority world” is the current term that has replaced what was traditionally referred to as “more developed countries”, “first world” or “industrial” nations.   (Page 11 Wylie et al., 2013; Majority World, 2011; Marsh, Keating, Punch, & Harding, 2009)

3. PWCD is a phrase used to refer to persons experiencing communication difficulties, which affect their ability to participate in everyday activities (Hartley, 1998; Wylie et al., 2013).