"If my child is going to break the mold and not be a statistic, the number one quality that I had to embed in him was a belief system in himself. If you can take ownership of what makes you different, then you are unstoppable." — Shireen Hafeez How do you go from receiving a late hearing loss diagnosis for your child and fighting insurance companies to founding an international movement that empowers tens of thousands of deaf youth through computer science? In this SPOTLIGHT episode of TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING, host Dr. Abhay Dandekar sits down with Shireen Hafeez, Founder of Deaf Kids Code. Shireen shares her powerful journey from parent advocate lobbying state legislatures for hearing aid coverage to building a zero-barrier, completely free global program that transforms visual-spatial talent into high-demand STEM, coding, and design thinking skills. Shireen helps us confront the shocking statistic that 75% of people with disabilities remain out of the job market, tackles the cultural taboos around disability within South Asian communities, discusses embedding AI literacy into special education, and explains why true accessibility means building WITH the community, not FOR them. If you believe in bridging equity gaps, empowering marginalized youth, and expanding human potential, please LIKE, SHARE, and SUBSCRIBE! -------------------------- CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - Introduction03:46 - The Diagnosis & Fighting Insurance "Cosmetic Device" Labels07:42 - Legislative Advocacy & The 75% Disability Unemployment Statistic12:06 - Founding Deaf Kids Code: Defiance, Scale & Zero-Barrier Access14:29 - Sponsor Break: TRAVELOPOD, Lotus Lane Coffee, & Timberdog Ruffrest15:24 - Overcoming Apathy, Human Arrogance & Building Belief Systems20:06 - Micro-Impacts, Deaf Role Models & Evangelizing Greatness24:35 - South Asian Cultural Stigma, Unlearning Silence & True Allyship29:20 - AI Literacy, Accessibility Coalitions & "Build WITH the Community"32:24 - A Message for Parents & Educators: Unlocking Human Potential36:20 - Conclusions, Deaf Awareness Month & Community Shoutouts -------------------------- EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS & KEY TAKEAWAYS:• Defying the 75% Statistic: How Deaf Kids Code is actively countering workforce exclusion by preparing deaf and hard-of-hearing youth for modern STEM careers.• Zero-Barrier Access: Why Deaf Kids Code provides its coding, robotics, and hardware workshops entirely free to schools, educators, and families.• Overcoming Cultural Stigma: Breaking down the shame, silence, and "otherness" surrounding disability within South Asian and global communities.• AI & Accessibility: Why disabled leaders must sit at the forefront of AI development to prevent algorithmic bias and unleash accessible innovation. GUEST & HOST RESOURCES:🌐 Learn more & get involved with Deaf Kids Code: https://www.deafkidscode.org🔗 Connect with Shireen Hafeez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shireenhafeez/Shout outs:• September is Deaf Awareness Month — Learn, grow, and foster inclusion in your local communities!• Varsha Dandekar — For a lifetime dedicated to working with children with special needs.• Tanuja Sheth — For sparking this episode.• Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi — For his ongoing efforts to combat hate crimes against South Asians. SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:✈️ Travelopod — Custom, personalized travel experiences for destinations like Africa, Japan, Antarctica, and India: https://vacation.travelopod.com☕ Lotus Lane Coffee — Rooted in India, Roasted in Columbus:https://lotuslanecoffee.com🐶 Timberdog Ruffrest — Versatile portable dog beds for travel and camping:https://timberdog.com/ Trust Me I Know What I'm Doing | Dr. Abhay DandekarA mirror and window for global Indians and South Asians through conversation.Every week, we share chats with artists, leaders, musicians, chefs, experts, change makers, and innovators from the home and diaspora - sharing their journeys and motivations. For enquiries 📧 Email : info@abhaydandekar.com Find us on Instagram/ LinkedIn:https://www.instagram.com/drabhaydandekar/https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhaydandekar/ Listen to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform:🎙️ Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/show/4ZReYDw6ta5zGuN4iLZ8Pt🎙️ Apple Podcast : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trust-me-i-know-what-im-doing/id1635803563?uo=4🎙️ Amazon Music : https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/acec47fd-da0e-4419-aab9-306503ea49c5🎙️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrustMeIKnowWhatImDoingSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:✈️ Travelopod — Custom, personalized travel experiences for destinations like Africa, Japan, Antarctica, and India: https://vacation.travelopod.com☕ Lotus Lane Coffee — Rooted in India, Roasted in Columbus: https://lotuslanecoffee.com🐶 Timberdog Ruffrest — Versatile portable dog beds for travel and camping: https://timberdog.com/ #ShireenHafeez #DeafKidsCode #DeafAwareness #STEMeducation #DisabilityInclusion #AbhayDandekar #TrustMeIKnowWhatImDoing #AccessibilityInTech #DeafCommunity #SouthAsianAdvocates
