Some of her most powerful conversations happen without a single spoken word.<\/p>\n
On Instagram, her hands move swiftly in sign language, telling stories, sharing ideas and connecting with thousands who understand her language. For many watching, especially young women from the deaf community, those gestures carry something deeper — visibility, confidence and possibility.<\/p>\n
But not long ago, things were very different.<\/p>\n
Read Full Story<\/p>\n
In 2023, when Kritika Dhunde from Nagpur started searching for work, interviews often ended early. It wasn\u2019t because she lacked skill, but because employers did not know how to communicate with a hearing disability candidate.<\/p>\n
Today, she leads a network of more than 1,000 deaf community women across India, many of whom are earning, learning and stepping into leadership for the first time.<\/p>\n
GROWING UP DEAF IN A WORLD BUILT FOR HEARING<\/p>\n
Kritika grew up in Nagpur and passed Class 12 in February 2007, at a time when awareness and opportunities for deaf women were far more limited.<\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up in Nagpur and my journey as a Deaf and Mute woman has shaped how I see the world today,\u201d she says. \u201cCommunication was always different for me, and that often meant navigating spaces that were not designed for people like me.\u201d<\/p>\n
School often felt isolating.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy school years were sometimes difficult because most teachers and students did not know sign language,\u201d she recalls. \u201cIt was hard to understand lessons and join class discussions, so I often depended on writing, lip-reading, and visual learning.\u201d<\/p>\n
But those years also built resilience.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose early experiences helped me become more patient and observant, and they shaped my determination to build opportunities for myself,\u201d Kritika says.<\/p>\n
FAMILY THAT BUILT CONFIDENCE<\/p>\n
Through it all, her family remained her strongest support system.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy family has always been my biggest support system,\u201d she says. \u201cThey never made me feel limited because of my disability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her parents, in particular, shaped her belief in independence.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy parents played the most important role in building my confidence. From childhood, they always supported and encouraged me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, Kritika is married and a mother of two daughters. Her journey towards financial independence has directly impacted her family life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spend some of my income on my daughters\u2019 education,\u201d she shares. \u201cNow I don\u2019t need to take money from my husband for small expenses. This opportunity helped me become more independent.\u201d<\/p>\n
WHEN JOB INTERVIEWS ENDED EARLY<\/p>\n
In 2023, when she entered the job market, reality hit hard.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I started looking for work in 2023, I realised that the biggest challenge was communication,\u201d she says. \u201cMany interviews would end quickly because employers were unsure how to communicate with someone who is Deaf and Mute.\u201d<\/p>\n
The experience was frustrating.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt times it felt like the communication gap was being misunderstood as lack of ability. But the challenge was never about skill. It was about access and understanding,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n
Kritika with her daughters\n<\/p>\n
A NETWORK THAT CHOSE TO ADAPT<\/p>\n
That same year, while searching online, she came across entrepreneur Deepika Bhatia\u2019s profile and discovered a women-led entrepreneurial network linked to the Oriflame community.<\/p>\n
The initial sessions were not easy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI depended on live captions to follow the discussions,\u201d Kritika says. \u201cSometimes conversations had to pause or slow down so I could understand everything clearly.\u201d<\/p>\n
But something stood out.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat stood out to me was that people were patient and willing to adapt.\u201d<\/p>\n
That willingness soon turned into structural change.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn interpreter from Nagpur began attending sessions. Video calls replaced long written instructions. Members of the leadership team even started learning basic sign language,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
The shift was transformative.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese changes made a huge difference for me. Once communication became smoother, I could participate more actively,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccessibility was not treated as a one-time effort. It became part of the structure itself,\u201d Kritika adds.<\/p>\n
FROM PARTICIPANT TO LEADER<\/p>\n
As Kritika found her footing, she began helping other deaf community women navigate the same system.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen they saw someone from their own community moving forward, it encouraged them to take that step,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
The network grew organically, driven by shared experiences and peer support.<\/p>\n
Today, Kritika leads a community of more than 1,000 deaf community women across India.<\/p>\n
BUILDING REAL INCOME AND INDEPENDENCE<\/p>\n
Within this ecosystem, women earn through product sales, training support and leadership roles.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor many Deaf and Mute women, this ecosystem has created a structured way to earn and grow with confidence,\u201d Kritika Dhunde explains.<\/p>\n
Earnings vary, but the impact is clear.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome women can earn up to around Rs 70,000 per month, which helps them support their household and move toward financial independence,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
For many, this is the first time they are contributing financially.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeyond the income itself, it has brought a sense of independence and dignity,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n
SIGN LANGUAGE FINDS A DIGITAL VOICE<\/p>\n
In 2024, Kritika also began posting videos in sign language on Instagram.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started sharing videos in sign language on Instagram as a way to express myself and connect with more people,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
For her, it is both identity and awareness.<\/p>\n
\u201cSign language is an important part of my identity It shows that communication can happen in many different ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
The response has been powerful.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany Deaf women message me saying that when they watch the videos, they feel understood,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Some young girls even use her videos to help families learn sign language.<\/p>\n
\u201cI also receive messages from hearing audiences who say the videos helped them understand sign language for the first time,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
REDEFINING COMMUNICATION<\/p>\n
Through her work and content, Kritika is challenging deep-rooted assumptions.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany people still believe that communication only happens through speech,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cSign language is expressive, emotional and very powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her visibility is slowly shifting perceptions, showing that communication is not limited to spoken words.<\/p>\n
A MESSAGE THAT GOES BEYOND HER STORY<\/p>\n
For Kritika, financial independence has changed not just her life, but how others see her.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt brings confidence and a sense of dignity. It also changes how people around you look at your abilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
But her larger message is for institutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cDifferently abled women do not lack talent, ambition or determination. What they often lack is access,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
And for young deaf community girls, her words come from lived experience:<\/p>\n
\u201cYour voice may not always be heard in the same way as others, but that does not make it any less powerful. Your dreams are valid, your abilities are real and your path is yours to create.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a world that once struggled to understand her voice, Kritika Dhunde is now helping thousands of others find theirs, and be heard.<\/p>\n
– Ends<\/p>\n
Published On: <\/p>\n
Mar 19, 2026 11:14 IST<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Some of her most powerful conversations happen without a single spoken word. On Instagram, her hands move swiftly…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":835959,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3094],"tags":[239615,51,239613,239616,239608,239610,3134,239614,239609,239612,16,15,239611],"class_list":["post-835958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entrepreneurship","tag-accessibility-in-workplace","tag-business","tag-deaf-community","tag-deaf-community-india","tag-deaf-women-leadership","tag-disability-inclusion","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-financial-independence-women","tag-hearing-disability","tag-sign-language-awareness","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-women-entrepreneurship-india"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116255215317934187","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/835958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=835958"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/835958\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/835959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=835958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=835958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=835958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}