The National Federation of the Deaf Nepal (NDFN) was established in 2052 BS as an umbrella organization for the rights and development of the deaf. Formed on the initiative of eight local deaf associations, the federation currently has 53 local deaf associations. People with hearing impairments are called deaf. Deaf communities are a linguistic minority communicating in sign language. They rely entirely on visual communication of signals developed on the basis of local language and culture for access to communication.