Toolkits

About the Engineering Deaf Awareness Project (E-DAP) Toolkit

24 Mar, 2025

Overview

The Engineering Deaf Awareness Project (E-DAP) is a pioneering initiative dedicated to making deaf awareness a standard in engineering. E-DAP is a movement for meaningful, measurable change in the number of people who proactively use accessibility tech in their daily lives, supporting everyone around them. By embedding accessibility into the fabric of engineering, E-DAP is breaking down barriers, changing perceptions and creating a future where engineering truly works to make everyone’s lives more effective

Imagine a world where talented individuals and dynamic growth oriented companies are turbo charged by removing barriers in communication and understanding. In engineering—a field where communication is critical to innovation, being proactive and embedding accessibility at the norm is critical. At E-DAP, we believe technology for accessibility is the foundation for accessibility and increased performance and ground-breaking ideas. By fostering technology for accessibility and increased performance, we’re not just improving workplaces—we’re demonstrating how inclusivity fuels economic growth, creativity, collaboration and benefits everyone.

The EPC has published E-DAP resources in a toolkit in solidarity with the Project’s aims.

Mission and Strategic Aims

E-DAP’s mission is to embed deaf awareness into the core of engineering practices, ensuring that the profession is accessible and for all . Our strategic aims include:

Awareness: Educate engineering professionals and students about the challenges faced by the deaf community.
Inclusion: Develop and promote resources and training to support deaf individuals in engineering environments.
Action: Support and drive change across academia and businesses
Innovation: Leverage emerging technologies to create solutions that bridge communication gaps.

Challenges

The engineering sector has historically faced challenges in creating inclusive environments for deaf individuals, including:

Lack of Awareness: Limited understanding of the unique needs of deaf professionals and students.
Resource Gaps: Scarcity of tailored training materials and support systems.
Technological Barriers: Underutilisation of technology to facilitate effective communication.

Initiatives and Activities

To address these challenges, E-DAP is implementing several key initiatives:

Hackathons: Organise collaborative events at Google’s ADC, bringing together students, engineers, and professionals to develop technological solutions that enhance communication and accessibility.
Webinars: Conducted a series of online seminars aimed at reaching over 1,000 participants, providing insights into deaf awareness and practical strategies for inclusion.
Social Media Campaigns: Leverage LinkedInto disseminate resources, share success stories, and engage the broader community in discussions on inclusivity.
Partnerships: Collaborate with organisations such as the Engineering Professors Council, Google, and the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) to amplify impact and resource availability.

Toolkit Content

Any views, thoughts, and opinions expressed herein are solely that of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of the Engineering Professors’ Council or the Toolkit sponsors and supporters.