Rising Queens Hosts Hyderabad Queen Contest to Empower Hearing Impaired Entrepreneurs

Rising Queens, an initiative supporting hearing-impaired women digital entrepreneurs, recently hosted the Hyderabad Queen Contest in Hyderabad. Founded by Deepika Bhatia, the community organized the celebratory event to highlight the achievements of hearing-impaired women through a program featuring a ramp walk, live music and dance performances, product showcases, and official recognitions.

The initiative originated from a single Instagram direct message sent to Bhatia by a hearing-impaired woman from Nagpur who was seeking work. The woman had faced repeated rejections during interviews for teaching and computer-based roles. Following that interaction, Bhatia established Rising Queens, which has grown from a single member to a network of over 4,000 hearing-impaired digital entrepreneurs across the country. The organization aims to expand its reach to over 10,000 women by 2027.

Addressing the economic challenges faced by the community, Bhatia pointed out that systemic barriers continue to hinder formal employment for hearing-impaired individuals. While government disability criteria open up job spaces, these allocations are broad and not specifically reserved for hearing-impaired candidates, causing many to miss out on government positions. Additionally, hearing-impaired mothers caring for small children face isolation and struggle to find flexible work-from-home opportunities equipped with Indian Sign Language (ISL) interpreters.

In the early stages of building the community, Bhatia communicated primarily through written text, messaging, and team members trained in Indian Sign Language. Over time, she chose to learn ISL directly to communicate respectfully with the members and meet them halfway in their shared work.

The community places a strong emphasis on public recognition and celebrating every achievement on a large scale. Beyond generating income and financial independence, the initiative focuses on building confidence and self-respect among its members, enabling hearing-impaired women to represent themselves proudly and operate as independent business owners.