A first ever sign bank to express mental health-related words has been launched to support deaf people in Bangladesh, developed by Monash University researchers in collaboration with Bangladeshi sign language interpreters, people from the deaf community and healthcare professionals.
Launched in Dhaka, the Digital Tools for Deaf Mental Health Project is a dedicated online platform designed to support the mental wellbeing of individuals with deafness. The research and development of the project was led by digital health researchers from Monash University’s Action Lab at the Faculty of Information Technology.
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 430 million people worldwide experience hearing loss—more than 5 per cent of the global population. In Bangladesh, around 9.6 per cent of the population is deaf or has hearing difficulties, making it the second most prevalent disability in the country.
The newly launched Project developed a first ever digital sign language bank with a total of over 60 suggested signs for mental health terminology including for words like ‘mental health’, ‘withdrawn’, ‘panic’ and ‘mind care’.
The sign bank and other resources to raise awareness of mental wellbeing, all demonstrated by a professional sign language interpreter, are freely available with Bangla and English subtitles to enhance accessibility.
Global mental health researcher and project lead Dr Tasdik Hasan, from Monash University’s Action Lab at the Faculty of Information Technology, said deaf individuals have higher mental health needs compared to the general population, yet they encounter numerous barriers, including limited access to mental health information and a global shortage of professionals trained to communicate effectively with them.
“As is typical for a South Asian country, there is a lack of discussion around mental health generally in Bangladesh and this is compounded in the deaf community where there are no standard signs to express different types of complex emotions or other aspects of mental wellbeing,” Dr Hasan said.
“Through this project we have focussed on developing tools through human-centred design to empower this underserved community so they can express emotions accurately and normalise conversations around mental health.”
Monash University researchers partnered with community organisation Team Inclusion Foundation to co-develop this project. The Foundation’s CEO and Founder based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Mr Jahirul Islam has lived experience of disability and has been a disability rights advocate for the past 12 years.
“It is very valuable to have the benefit of researchers collaborating with under-resourced communities to deliver tangible disability-inclusive development which can actually be accessed by the people who it is meant for,” Mr Islam said.
The sign bank and other educational materials of the Project were all developed and co-designed with careful consultation and in collaboration with Bangladeshis who have lived experience of deafness, professional sign language interpreters in the country, and mental healthcare professionals who have in-depth awareness of the emotional health of vulnerable communities in Bangladesh.
Mr Mohhammed Abdullah is a deaf person in Bangladesh and was part of the Digital Tools for Deaf Mental Health Project.
“Working on this project showed me how vital mental health is for everyone. We discovered new terms that never existed in our community’s vocabulary—words like ‘depression’, which we had never fully understood,” Mr Adbullah said.
“Before, we expressed emotions with just four words: sadness, joy, pain and liking. Through this project, I realised that mental health is far more complex and expansive than we ever imagined.”
Professional sign language interpreter Ms Arafat Sultana Lata worked in collaboration with the researchers to develop the new signs for the sign bank.
“We co-created new signs with the hearing-impaired community, building a vocabulary that captures nuanced emotions and deepens mental health understanding,” Ms Sultana said.
“Seeing our community grow more aware and empowered, I feel a deep responsibility to spread this knowledge further. Every new sign we create is a step toward liberation.”
Looking to the future, the researchers aim to evaluate the co-developed tools and collaborate on creating additional resources to gain a comprehensive understanding of mental health, including severe mental health conditions.
This research is supported and funded by Monash Assistive Technology and Society Centre and Action Lab at the Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University.
Project Lead Dr Tasdik Hasan from Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology, Team Inclusion Foundation Bangladesh CEO Mr Jahirul Islam, and other collaborators featured above are currently in Bangladesh and are available for interviews.
