Esthefany

Esthefany is a deaf student from Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte, whose lived experience with exclusion on public buses led her to engineer a solution. Tired of being ignored and unable to communicate with drivers, she developed a low-cost, Arduino-based accessibility device that connects with a mobile app to allow deaf passengers to signal their needs directly to the driver—eliminating dependency on others and affirming autonomy. For Esthefany, this project isn’t just about technology—it’s about visibility, dignity, and proving that deaf people are creators, not merely recipients, of innovation. Backed by a co-leadership model and a strong community at CAS (State Center for Training Educators and Services to the Deaf) Mossoró, she dreams of patenting the device, scaling its use in buses across Brazil, and publishing an anthology of deaf stories to highlight the diversity and strength of her community.