Page 36 - Mann Ki Baat September 2022
P. 36
Inclusion Through ISL Not a Distant
Dream, But a Reality
a deaf individual like me who was
once looked down as inferior to a
non-deaf person. I started DEF with
the agenda to open an institute
that can help in training deaf
youngsters to educate themselves,
find good jobs and ensure that they
lead dignified lives independent of
any form of support or sympathy.
Little did I know that this simple
thought would turn out to be a
T.K.M. Sandeep mammoth task to achieve.
Traditionally, our education
CEO, Deaf EnAbled Foundation
system supported oral forms
of teaching and interpreters
were scarcely available to help
deaf students. Moreover, special
The hearing-impaired people education institutes were only
in the country faced a multitude present in selective metropolitan
of challenges both physical and cities. Apart from the infrastructural
mental in nature including social issues, a deaf person had to deal
stigmas and were largely excluded with social stigmas that viewed
from the process of nation- deafness through the coloured
building. But now this trend has lens of karma and its other religious
reversed with both Government counterparts. Not only this, even
as well as civil society coming up the parents of many deaf children
with innovative and structured preferred to send their wards to
solutions for the development regular non-deaf schools and
of people with disabilities. With colleges instead of understanding
the establishment of the Indian their needs. But the biggest
Sign Language Research and challenge that we also faced was
Training Centre and various other that of the communication gap
organizations like Deaf EnAbled that was widely existent within the
Foundation (DEF), the country is society.
witnessing the rise of a disabled- Since the challenges were
friendly environment. huge, the efforts must also be of
Deafness is not a liability. Sign similar level and that too from
Language is not just the language all quarters. It was important to
of the deaf. These very words build an environment that not
became the founding pillars of just provides them with equal
Deaf EnAbled Foundation (DEF), an opportunities for growth but
organisation that was founded by also includes them as proactive
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