Shireen Hafeez is the mastermind behind Deaf Kids Code. Her inspiration came from her son when she learned that he would eventually lose his hearing. According to the CDC, Deaf or Hard of Hearing individuals have an unemployment rate of 65% or more nationally. Shireen heard this information and decided to see if there was a way she could change these statistics and make it easier for those individuals to get jobs in the future. She also found out that according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, IT jobs will increase by 22% through 2020. With this information she concluded that it would be beneficial to teach kids how to code. With the language barrier that exists, coding is a way to have universal communication between employers and employees. Shireen took these ideas and created Deaf Kids Code.

Deaf Kids Code is a non-profit organization whose mission is to bridge the severe economic and social gaps that exist among the Deaf and Hard of Hearing through the cultivation of computing and technology skills. It aims to provide new educational pathways for the Hard of Hearing community and show everyone that they are missing out on the untapped potential in the minds of the individuals who cannot communicate like everyone else. Currently, the organization is working to host workshops and translation events where translators take Khan Academy coding videos and translate them into American Sign Language. The plan is to host these events across the country in order to spread awareness and to get as many videos translated as possible.