FENASCOL Federacion Nacional de Sordos de Colombia

What FENASCOL Federacion Nacional de Sordos de Colombia does

MinTIC's TIC sin Barreras program is a publicly funded Colombian government initiative operated within the Ministry of Information and Communications (Ministerio de Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones) under the broader Grupo de Trabajo Inclusión TIC para Personas con Discapacidad. It delivers a portfolio of accessibility and digital inclusion services targeting people with disabilities, their caregivers, and aligned vulnerable populations in Colombia. The portfolio includes Signos en Red, a video relay interpretation service that connects deaf users of Colombian Sign Language (Lengua de Señas Colombiana) with certified interpreters to facilitate communication in personal contexts and within the TIC sector; ConVerTIC, which distributes accessibility software such as JAWS and ZOOMTEXT for blind and low-vision users; the Festival SmartFilms, a cell-phone-based film festival with dedicated inclusive categories (SmarTIC Incluyente created 2016, REDvolucionarias created 2021, Etnias created 2025, LGBTIQ+ created 2026); and the Cuidadores program, established under Law 2297 of 2023 to extend digital inclusion to caregivers.

The technical backbone of Signos en Red is a video-mediated relay service staffed by human interpreters, accessed via centralized government portals (ticsinbarreras.mintic.gov.co, signosenred.gov.co, convertic.gov.co). The service is contracted annually by the Ministry and provided free of charge to end users, with the Ministry explicitly financing accessibility compliance under Law 1680 of 2013, Law 324 of 1996, and Law 982 of 2005. By law, individual public and private service providers must fund their own accessibility solutions, leaving Signos en Red reserved exclusively for personal-context and TIC-sector use by deaf residents. The program operates from Bogotá and reports through the Oficina de Apropiación Digital within MinTIC.

The business model is non-commercial: services are funded through the Colombian national budget, with no pricing tiers, customer payments, or revenue-generating channels. The customer base is Colombian deaf sign language users and other PWD populations, with awareness and access delivered through MinTIC's official website, social media accounts, and direct email contact. There is no disclosed revenue, no commercial customer base, and no private-sector distribution; the entity is a ministry program rather than a venture-backed or publicly-traded company.

Name

FENASCOL Federacion Nacional de Sordos de Colombia

Legal name

Ministerio de Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones

Website

https://centroderelevo.gov.co

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MinTIC's TIC sin Barreras is a Colombian government program providing free accessibility services for deaf, blind, and disabled citizens, including video sign-language interpretation (Signos en Red), assistive software (ConVerTIC), and an inclusive film festival (SmartFilms).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

FENASCOL is the national federation of deaf Colombians, primarily advocating for the rights, accessibility, and inclusion of the deaf community and promoting Colombian Sign Language (LSC). It represents deaf citizens before public institutions, coordinates interpretation services, and runs educational and community programs supporting deaf Colombians.

Product overview

The programs described are Colombia's national ICT accessibility initiatives operated by the Grupo de Trabajo Inclusión TIC para Personas con Discapacidad (ICT Inclusion Work Group for People with Disabilities) within the Ministerio de Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones, located in the Oficina de Apropiación Digital. The portfolio includes Signos en Red as a communication mediation service through interpreters for deaf users of Colombian Sign Language; ConVerTIC for people who are blind or have low vision; the Festival SmartFilms as an inclusive mobile film festival with four sub-categories (SmarTIC Incluyente, REDvolucionarias, Etnias, and LGBTIQ+); and the Cuidadores program for caregivers under Law 2297 of 2023. The services are publicly funded government programs aligned with accessibility legislation including Laws 1680 of 2013, 1346 of 2009, 324 of 1996, and 982 of 2005.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ConVerTIC: Program for blind people and people with low vision offering software downloads like JAWS and ZOOMTEXT
• Signos en Red
• SmartFilms
• SmarTIC Incluyente
• REDvolucionarias
• Etnias

Products and services

• Sign Language Interpretation Services

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Convo Communications: US-based video relay service provider for the deaf community with an on-demand video interpreter model structurally analogous to Signos en Red.
• Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD): US nonprofit providing interpreting, advocacy, and relay services for the deaf community; structurally similar to FENASCOL/MinTIC's deaf-services mandate and program portfolio.
• Stratus Video: Provider of video remote interpretation (VRI) services across multiple settings; relevant peer for the on-demand video-interpretation delivery model Signos en Red employs.
• Purple Communications: Provider of VRS and video remote interpreting for deaf and hard-of-hearing users, with overlapping sign language interpretation services and customer base to Signos en Red.
• Sorenson Communications: Largest US provider of video relay services (VRS) for deaf and hard-of-hearing users, operating an on-demand video interpretation model directly comparable to Signos en Red's video relay for sign-language users.
• ZP (formerly ZVRS): Video relay service for American Sign Language users in the US offering functionally analogous on-demand sign language interpretation between deaf and hearing callers.
• InDemand Interpreting: Video remote interpretation provider with an on-demand model comparable to Signos en Red's on-demand video interpreter mediation for end users.

Broad incumbents

• CyraCom: Interpretation and translation services provider with phone and video interpretation offerings; overlaps with Signos en Red in the broader interpretation services category without sign language specialization.
• LanguageLine Solutions: Largest commercial interpretation and translation provider globally; comparable as an interpretation services incumbent but does not specialize in sign language video relay.

Regional players

• SignVideo (UK): UK-based video relay service for British Sign Language users; operates a structurally identical on-demand sign language video interpretation model in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Ministerio_TIC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/minticolombia
• Facebookfacebook.com/MinisterioTIC.Colombia
• Instagraminstagram.com/ministerio_tic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fenascol-federacion-nacional-de-sordos-de-colombia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about FENASCOL Federacion Nacional de Sordos de Colombia