German Deaf Blind Society

What German Deaf Blind Society does

Deutsches Taubblindenwerk is a German non-profit organization (gemeinnützige GmbH) founded in Hannover that provides comprehensive lifelong services for approximately 280 children, youth, and adults with deafblindness and hearing-visual impairment. Operating from two main locations in Hannover-Kirchrode and Hessisch Oldendorf/Fischbeck with around 400 employees, it is described in source material as one of the leading specialized institutions for deafblindness in Europe. The organization serves a narrow but highly complex patient population that requires rare, specialized care given the dual sensory impairment.

The service portfolio spans education (early intervention from birth to age 6, special kindergarten, state-recognized school with boarding for 30 students, vocational preparation), vocational rehabilitation (workshop for disabled persons/WfbM with 63 work places in Fischbeck plus a Hannover training workshop), residential care (61 places in Hannover, 127 in Fischbeck across 15 residential groups in 3 homes plus a 22-place Landhof), outpatient supported living, and rehabilitation programs delivered nationwide. Its underlying "technology" consists of specialized human-delivered pedagogical methods including the Lormen tactile hand alphabet, tactile sign language (Taktil Gebärden), Braille, Basale Stimulation, and the proprietary "Rehistorisierende Diagnostik" biographical diagnostic approach, supplemented by cochlear implant adaptation support and assistive-device training. A small Berlin project office supports the GaViD-Sinne initiative, and a dedicated foundation (Stiftung Deutsches Taubblindenwerk) channels charitable activity.

Revenue comes primarily from German statutory social insurance systems (SGB IX Rehabilitation and Participation of Disabled Persons, SGB XII Social Assistance, §54 Integration Assistance), supplemented by individual and corporate donations processed through SozialBank and contracted fees for specialized services including EUTB independent counseling and the Berufsbegleitende Qualifizierung zur Taubblindenassistenz training program. Clients do not pay directly for core services; demand is generated through referrals from social workers, healthcare providers, health insurers, and family/disability networks rather than through traditional consumer marketing. No public revenue figure is disclosed.

Name

German Deaf Blind Society

Legal name

Deutsches Taubblindenwerk Gemeinnützige Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung

Website

https://taubblindenwerk.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Deutsches Taubblindenwerk is a German non-profit organization providing comprehensive lifelong services including education, residential care, vocational training, and rehabilitation for approximately 280 children, youth, and adults with deafblindness across its Hannover and Fischbeck locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Social Services for Deafblindness

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (623210), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG), Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH), Deaf/Hard of Hearing & Vision Services (Audiology, Interpreting, Orientation & Mobility) (EDAJAKAI), Accessibility, Accommodations & Assistive Services (EDALAFAN), Sign Language Learning Programs (ASL/BSL, etc.) (EDAMAFAM)

Keywords

• Deafblind care services
• Special education school
• Disability residential care
• Vocational rehabilitation workshops
• Tactile communication training

Headquarters

HQ city

Hanover

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Social Insurance Funding (SGB IX/XII): Core services are funded through German social insurance systems including SGB IX (Rehabilitation and Participation of Disabled Persons) and SGB XII (Social Assistance). The Bildungszentrum operates under SGB IX provisions and SGB XII §54 for integration assistance.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations, corporate donations, and funding for specific projects such as inclusive leisure programs, therapeutic riding, and facility improvements. Online donation system provided through SozialBank.
3. Contracted Services: Fee-for-service arrangements for specialized services including EUTB (independent counseling), professional training, and rehabilitation services under contract with public payers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Deutsches Taubblindenwerk is a non-profit social services organization providing comprehensive lifelong services for people with deafblindness and hearing-visual impairment across two locations in Hannover and Fischbeck, Germany. Core offerings span five areas: education (early intervention, kindergarten, school with boarding, vocational preparation), work (sheltered workshops for disabled persons, day structure programs), housing (residential homes for adults, outpatient supported living), rehabilitation (deafblind technical basic training), and professional qualification (deafblind assistant certification). Services are accessed through Germany's social insurance systems (SGB IX, SGB XII) and supported by donations.

Product overview

Deutsches Taubblindenwerk is a social services organization offering a comprehensive, integrated system of care and support for people with deafblindness and hearing-visual impairment. Rather than a single product or software platform, it provides a portfolio of interconnected services organized across five main areas: Education (Bildung) including early intervention, special kindergarten, school with boarding, and vocational preparation; Work (Arbeit) including sheltered workshops and day structure programs; Living (Wohnen) including residential homes and supported independent living; and specialized Services & Projects including rehabilitation training and deafblind assistance qualification. The organization operates from two main locations (Hannover and Fischbeck) serving approximately 280 children, youth, and adults with around 400 employees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bildungszentrum Hören - Sehen - Kommunikation (Education Center Hearing - Seeing - Communication)

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced sensory isolation through continuous social support and therapeutic interventions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Deutscher Ruderclub (DRC von 1884 e.V.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRowing group established over 30 years ago operating jointly with the German Rowing Club. Members include children, youth, and adults with deafblindness as well as non-disabled companions. All members of the BSN (Behindertensportverband Niedersachsen). Group trains regularly on the Ihme river in Hannover and uses rowing basin and fitness facilities in off-season.
• Institut für soziales Lernen mit TierenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for animal-assisted therapy programs conducted weekly at the Bildungszentrum. House and farm animals including sheep, chickens, donkeys, and rabbits are used to facilitate trust-building, sensory stimulation, and emotional development in children with deafblindness.
• Hof SichtermannminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTherapeutic riding partnership at location near Hannover providing horseback therapy and riding activities for children and adults with deafblindness, offered weekly for Bildungszentrum students and Fischbeck residents.
• Hannoversche WerkstättenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCooperation arrangement for Hannover-based residential clients who attend external workshops and day programs, providing vocational options beyond the organization's own workshop offerings.
• SozialBank (Bank für Sozialwirtschaft)minorOthersProvides online donation processing platform for the organization's fundraising activities. The bank's secure payment infrastructure enables electronic donations with SSL encryption.
• Evangelisch-lutherische Landeskirche HannoverminorOthersPastoral care services for deafblind individuals including individual and group counseling, worship services, leisure activities, and church events specifically adapted for sensory-impaired congregation members.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sense International: International charity supporting people with deafblindness through education, rehabilitation, and advocacy across multiple countries. Comparable as a specialized deafblind service and training provider with comparable mission and beneficiary population.
• Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults: U.S.-based federally funded national center providing lifetime services for deafblind individuals, including residential, rehabilitation, and training programs. Directly comparable as a national specialized facility serving the same rare deafblind population across the lifespan.

Broad incumbents

• Deutscher Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband (DBSV): National German association representing blind and visually impaired people, providing advocacy, rehabilitation, and service referrals. Adjacent in mission but focuses on visual impairment broadly rather than combined deafblindness.
• Diakonie Deutschland: Germany's largest Protestant social welfare organization running disability services, education, and care facilities. Overlaps in operating disability-related residential and workshop services but as a broad social-services umbrella rather than deafblind specialist.
• Perkins School for the Blind: Historic U.S. institution providing education and residential services for students with blindness and multiple disabilities including deafblindness. Overlaps in special-education and deafblind programming but operates on a broader visual-impairment remit.
• Lebenshilfe: Germany's largest disability advocacy and service organization operating workshops, residential homes, and early intervention. Comparable in operating model (WfbM, Wohnheime, Frühförderung) but serves all intellectual disabilities rather than specializing in deafblindness.
• Caritas Behindertenhilfe und Psychiatrie: Catholic-affiliated social services association operating workshops, housing, and support for people with disabilities across Germany. Comparable in WfbM and residential care model but serves a broader disability population.

Others

• Stiftung Bundeskunsthalle? No — Stiftung Deutsches Taubblindenwerk: Affiliated foundation linked to the subject organization handling fundraising and endowment-style support for the deafblind mission. Included for completeness of the ecosystem; not an independent operating peer.
• Deafblind International (DbI): Global umbrella network of deafblind service providers, researchers, and family organizations. Adjacent as a knowledge and standards-setting ecosystem partner rather than a competing operating peer.
• Bundeskunsthalle? — Aktion Mensch: Germany's largest private social-investment fund supporting disability inclusion projects through lottery proceeds. Adjacent as a major funding source for inclusive leisure and accessibility projects the subject organization depends on.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/taubblindenwerk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deutsches-taubblindenwerk-ggmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/taubblindenwerk/?hl=de
• Xx.com/taubblindenwerk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about German Deaf Blind Society