Feneis

What Feneis does

FENEIS (Federação Nacional de Educação e Integração dos Surdos) is a Brazilian non-profit philanthropic federation founded on May 16, 1987, headquartered in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. It is the principal national federation representing deaf education and integration in Brazil, operating through a network of affiliated regional deaf associations across the country. The organization maintains representation on national bodies such as CONADE (the National Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) and collaborates with international bodies including the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD). The federation is led by President Antonio Abreu and engages founder Antonio Campos de Abreu, who has held leadership positions since the organization's founding and continues to participate in international academic and advocacy events.

FENEIS delivers three core service lines: (1) educational services, including online LIBRAS (Brazilian Sign Language) courses offered in beginner/basic and intermediate/advanced levels through FENEIS Rio Grande do Sul; (2) accessibility services, most notably the Central de Interpretação de Libras do Rio Grande do Sul (CIL-RS), which provides on-demand LIBRAS interpretation in hospitals, schools, police stations, and health units; and (3) youth coordination through the Coordenadoria Nacional de Jovens Surdos (CNJS), its dedicated youth arm. The organization does not sell proprietary technology — no API, no mobile app, no AI/ML product — but functions as a community federation, advocacy body, and accessibility service provider.

Revenue is generated through LIBRAS course fees, membership and affiliation contributions from member associations, government grants, and donations. Pricing for courses is not publicly disclosed and enrollment is handled via Google Forms. The federation reports 578 workers under CNPJ 29.262.052/0002-07 in the 2024 Salary Transparency and Equality Report. Its primary customers are deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in Brazil, LIBRAS translators and interpreters seeking professional standards, the Brazilian education system, and public institutions requiring accessibility compliance under the Lei Brasileira de Inclusão. The go-to-market motion is community-led, leveraging the federation's national network of affiliated associations to drive advocacy, policy influence, and public awareness. Notable recent strategic moves include the April 2025 launch of real-time LIBRAS interpretation services in partnership with the Brazilian Federal Senate and ongoing legislative advocacy on bills such as PL-1648-2026 and PL 3351/2024.

Name

Feneis

Legal name

Federação Nacional de Educação e Integração dos Surdos

Website

https://feneis.org.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

FENEIS is the Brazilian national federation for deaf education and integration, founded in 1987 and headquartered in Belo Horizonte. It operates through affiliated regional associations to deliver LIBRAS courses, interpretation services, youth programs, and legislative advocacy for the Brazilian deaf community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Deaf Education and Advocacy Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Language Schools (611630)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAGAKAJ

Accessibility, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) & Inclusive Content Services

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Instructional Design & Content Development Services

Keywords

• Deaf education advocacy
• LIBRAS sign language
• Disability rights federation
• Accessibility interpretation services
• Nonprofit deaf services

Headquarters

HQ city

Belo Horizonte

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Course fees and membership contributions: FENEIS generates revenue through course fees (e.g., LIBRAS online courses in Rio Grande do Sul), membership/affiliation fees from affiliated associations, and likely government grants and donations. The organization is described as a filantrópica (philanthropic), non-profit entity of an educational, assistive, and sociocultural nature.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Feneis is a Brazilian non-profit federation founded in 1987 that advocates for deaf education and LIBRAS (Brazilian Sign Language) rights. It sells online LIBRAS conversation courses to learners, operates interpretation services through CIL-RS, runs the CNJS national youth coordination program for deaf youth, and influences Brazilian disability rights legislation and public policy.

Product overview

FENEIS (Federação Nacional de Educação e Integração dos Surdos) is a non-profit philanthropic organization founded in 1987, focused on education and integration of deaf people in Brazil. The organization offers educational services including LIBRAS online courses, accessibility services through interpretation centers (CIL-RS), and youth coordination programs (CNJS). As an advocacy organization, FENEIS primarily engages in policy work, rights defense, and community support rather than technology product development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CNJS: Coordenadoria Nacional de Jovens Surdos - National Coordination of Deaf Youth, focused on uniting and empowering deaf youth in Brazil.

Products and services

• Curso de LIBRAS Online de Conversação
• Central de Interpretação de Libras do Rio Grande do Sul (CIL-RS) Sign language interpretation service operated by Feneis in Rio Grande do Sul, providing LIBRAS interpreters to organizations, public agencies, and events that require accessible communication for deaf users.
• Coordenadoria Nacional de Jovens Surdos (CNJS) National coordination program for deaf youth in Brazil, run by Feneis to support young deaf people's participation, leadership development, and engagement with the broader deaf community and public policy.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Senate Federal launched a real-time LIBRAS interpretation service in April 2025, in part due to FENEIS's advocacy, enabling deaf citizens to access legislative services without prior scheduling.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• LibrasolminorOthersLibrasol is displayed as a partner logo on FENEIS's website. No detailed description of the partnership is provided.
• Legenda NacionalminorOthersLegenda Nacional is displayed as a partner logo on FENEIS's website. No detailed description of the partnership is provided.
• CNJS - Coordenadoria Nacional de Jovens SurdoscoreOthersCNJS is FENEIS's national youth arm (Coordenadoria Nacional de Jovens Surdos), focused on uniting deaf youth across Brazil, sharing cultures, knowledge, and empowerment, and advocating for rights. It operates its own website under cnjs.feneis.org.br with dedicated social media channels.
• Central de Interpretação de Libras do Rio Grande do Sul (CIL-RS)coreOthersCIL-RS is an initiative that provides specialized LIBRAS interpretation services for deaf people and those with hearing impairment in Rio Grande do Sul, facilitating accessibility in public services such as hospitals, schools, and police stations. It also offers consulting on LIBRAS accessibility and training for public servants.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• British Deaf Association (BDA): UK national deaf-led organization advocating for sign language rights, providing community services and BSL training; directly comparable as a peer national federation operating outside Brazil.
• Deaf Australia: Australian peak advocacy body for deaf people, providing Auslan-related services and policy advocacy; comparable national federation model targeting sign language rights and community empowerment.
• Confédération Nationale des Sourds de France (CNSF): French national federation representing French Sign Language users, offering training, advocacy, and accessibility services; mirrors FENEIS's role as a national federation in another country.

Direct peers

• Instituto Nacional de Educação de Surdos (INES): Brazil's federal institute for deaf education, founded 1856, delivering bilingual deaf education, LIBRAS training, and accessibility research; directly comparable to FENEIS's education and integration mission within Brazil.
• Associação Brasileira de Educação de Deficientes Auditivos (ABEDA): Brazilian association focused on education of people with hearing disabilities; operates as a domestic peer within the same deaf/hard-of-hearing education and inclusion space as FENEIS.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of the Deaf (NAD): The US national civil rights organization for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, providing advocacy, certification, and community services; structurally analogous to FENEIS as a national federation driving deaf rights.
• World Federation of the Deaf (WFD): The international umbrella federation of national deaf associations; FENEIS has had direct board representation at WFD (1995-1999) and partners with it on international sign language issues, making WFD the natural global counterpart.

Emerging players

• Hand Talk: Brazilian startup providing AI-powered LIBRAS translation through a virtual sign language interpreter (Hugo); operates in the same LIBRAS accessibility market that FENEIS advocates for and serves.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/feneisbr
• Instagraminstagram.com/cnjs.brasil
• Xx.com/feneisbr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/feneis-minas-gerais

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Feneis