IRAP Institut de Rééducation Audio-Phonétique

What IRAP Institut de Rééducation Audio-Phonétique does

IRAP (Institut de Rééducation Audio-Phonétique) is a Lebanese nonprofit association founded in 1960 in Ain Aar, Metn-Nord, specializing in the education, rehabilitation, and social integration of deaf and hard-of-hearing children from birth through adolescence. The institute operates a multi-disciplinary service portfolio centered on six core products: Specialized Education (Éducation Spécialisée), Speech Therapy (Orthophonie), Psychomotor Therapy (Psychomotricité), Early Childhood Education (0-3 years), Audiometry, and Lebanese Sign Language instruction. These are delivered by a multi-disciplinary team of specialized educators, orthopedagogues, speech therapists, psychomotor specialists, deaf teachers, and psychologists, using a pedagogical approach that combines Montessori methods, auditory education, oral and gestural communication, verbo-tonal method, body expression, and visual support tools (computers, pictograms, interactive whiteboards, explanatory videos).

Beyond its core educational mission, IRAP runs Adapted Workshops (Ateliers Adaptés) for vocational training and sheltered employment of deaf youth, a School Inclusion Unit that integrates deaf students with hearing aids or cochlear implants into neighboring mainstream schools, an Academic Support Unit for hearing children with learning difficulties, and a free Guidance and Orientation Service providing evaluations in audiometry, psychology, speech therapy, psychomotor skills, and cochlear implants. The institute also operates IRAP Accueil, a concept store and cafeteria in Biyada/Rabweh managed entirely by deaf individuals that sells handmade artisan products and hosts community events, a cafeteria at Hôpital Hotel Dieu de France in Beirut staffed by volunteers serving people with specific needs, and a Community Development program in Beirut's periphery (Maison Notre Dame, established 1985) addressing health, education, and women's work.

The institute's business model is non-commercial: services are delivered directly to families through phone-based intake and in-person enrollment, with no online distribution or digital product offerings. Revenue is sourced from a mix of government recognition (Ministry of Interior, since 1975), donations from Lebanese and foreign supporters, and marginal revenue from the IRAP Accueil concept store. Free evaluations and prioritized accessibility indicate an impact-driven rather than revenue-maximizing model. IRAP operates three physical locations in Lebanon (Ain Aar headquarters, Biyada/Rabweh concept store, Beirut hospital cafeteria) with a 9-person headcount and no disclosed external funding rounds, investors, or M&A activity.

Name

IRAP Institut de Rééducation Audio-Phonétique

Legal name

IRAP Institut de Rééducation Audio-Phonétique

Website

https://iraplb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IRAP is a Lebanese nonprofit founded in 1960 providing specialized education, speech therapy, psychomotor therapy, audiology, and early childhood education for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, plus vocational training, community development, and a concept store managed by deaf individuals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Language Schools (611630), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Deaf/Hard of Hearing & Vision Services (Audiology, Interpreting, Orientation & Mobility) (EDAJAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sign Language Learning Programs (ASL/BSL, etc.) (EDAMAFAM), Assistive Technology & AAC for Young Children (EDACAFAL), Specialized Learning Support (Dyslexia/LD Coaching, Assistive Strategies) (EDAJALAJ), Note-Taking, Interpreting & Communication Access Services (EDALAGAD)

Keywords

• Deaf education services
• Speech therapy services
• Special needs education
• Audiology services
• Vocational training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Ain Aar, Metn-Nord

HQ country

Lebanon

HQ region

Middle East

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Educational and Rehabilitation Services: The institute provides specialized educational and rehabilitation services for deaf children and children with learning difficulties, including speech therapy, psychomotor therapy, audiology services, and early childhood education. Revenue appears to come from service provision, government support (recognized by Ministry of Interior), and donations from Lebanese and foreign supporters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IRAP provides specialized education and rehabilitation services for deaf and hard-of-hearing children in Lebanon, including specialized classroom education, speech therapy (orthophonie), psychomotor therapy, early childhood intervention for ages 0-3, audiometric examinations, and Lebanese sign language instruction. The institute also operates adapted workshops for vocational training of deaf youth, an IRAP Accueil concept store managed by deaf staff, an HDF cafeteria serving people with specific needs, and a community development program supporting underprivileged populations in the Beirut periphery.

Product overview

IRAP (Institut de Rééducation Audio-Phonétique) is a specialized educational institute offering a comprehensive, integrated suite of services for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. The portfolio centers on six core therapeutic and educational products: Specialized Education, Speech Therapy (Orthophonie), Psychomotor Skills, Early Childhood Education (0-3 years), Audiometry, and Sign Language. These are complemented by vocational training (Adapted Workshops), community integration services (IRAP Accueil Concept Store, HDF Cafeteria), and community development programs. A school inclusion unit and academic support unit extend services to broader populations. The institute uses Montessori methods combined with specialized techniques adapted for deaf learners, including visual aids, computers, pictograms, interactive whiteboards, and body expression activities. The institute serves as both a standalone school (from early childhood through Brevet) and a support center for mainstreamed students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• deaf children achieve academic qualifications (brevet certificate) and professional competence for social and economic integration

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Gallaudet University: The world's only university designed primarily for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. While IRAP operates at the K-12 / early childhood level, Gallaudet is the most globally recognized institution in deaf education and sets pedagogical, cultural, and research standards IRAP's model aligns with.

Others

• Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: A US-based membership organization promoting listening and spoken language for deaf children, providing resources, advocacy, and professional development. Comparable to IRAP as it operates in the same deaf-education ecosystem and shapes methodological standards IRAP draws on.
• Hôtel-Dieu de France (Saint-Joseph University):

Regional players

• Lebanese Association for the Deaf: A Lebanese advocacy and community organization for the deaf. Operates in the same country and constituency as IRAP, sharing the goal of deaf empowerment but focusing on advocacy and community rather than direct education delivery, making it a complementary regional peer.
• Lebanese University - Faculty of Sciences / Special Education Programs: The Lebanese University is the country's main public higher-education institution and runs inclusive and special-education teacher training. It is a regional peer because it shapes Lebanese special-education policy and trains many of the professionals IRAP hires, and competes for special-education mindshare domestically.

Emerging players

• Sense International (Lebanon / Middle East): An international organization supporting people with deafblindness and complex disabilities in the Middle East, including Lebanon. Comparable as an adjacent disability-services provider operating in IRAP's geography with overlapping beneficiary populations.

Direct peers

• Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech: A US network of auditory-oral schools for deaf and hard-of-hearing children offering listening and spoken-language programs from infancy through elementary. Closely comparable to IRAP's core specialized-education and orthophonie (speech therapy) offerings for young deaf children.
• Centre des Écoles Spécialisées pour le Liban (or equivalent Lebanese specialized schools): One of the other pioneering specialized institutions for the deaf in Lebanon (IRAP is one of four founded in the 1960s). Direct domestic peers competing for the same student population, donor funding, and government recognition in Lebanon.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irap-liban

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 IRAP Institut de Rééducation Audio-Phonétique