Damj

Overview

Damj (also spelled Damej) is an Egyptian digital accessibility tool that opens websites to people with visual and hearing disabilities. For deaf users, it converts on-screen words and lines into sign-language letters, which founder Hazem Salem says is faster than producing a sign-language video for every page. For blind and low-vision users, its screen reader reads a whole site in Arabic and English. Users can also enlarge fonts, highlight links and dim the screen. Damj was designed with UNDP Egypt and showcased at a national disability event attended by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

The pitch

Founder Hazem Salem asked the sharks for EGP 6 million in exchange for 20% of Damj, pitching it as a fast and practical way to make Egyptian websites accessible to deaf and blind users. During the pitch, shark Ayman Abbas stepped in to help him explain the idea to the panel. No public source confirms the outcome yet.

Services & products

• Sign-language text conversionTurns on-screen words and lines into sign-language letters so deaf users can read any web page.
• Arabic & English screen readerReads an entire website aloud in Arabic or English for blind and visually impaired visitors.
• Font enlargementLets low-vision users enlarge the text on a site to a size they can read comfortably.
• Link highlighting & screen dimmingHighlights links and dims the screen to make pages easier to navigate and read.
• Website accessibility add-onA plug-in that site owners add to make their existing websites accessible to users with disabilities.

Team

• HSHazem SalemFounder

After the show

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