DEAFNESS IN
INDIA
PRESENTED BY Arun Rao
Executive Director -The Deaf Way Foundation
Ex-President - National Association of the Deaf
EDUCATION
 The educators of the deaf in India have
used a single methodology for the past 30
some years.
 The admitted penetration is at 1% of the
total population of which 2% are
successfully rehabilitated and educated.
 The others are left to fend for themselves,
without the skills they enrolled to obtain.
EDUCATION
1. Most schools in India do not have a clear
communication or language policy
2. They either emulate old teachers or
devise their own methods.
3. We have a total of 20 schools above 8th
grade of which 8 schools are above 10th
grade level for a population which
possibly exceeds half a million.
THE DEAF WAY ……
WE HAVE A TWO PRONGED APPROACH
1. INFORMATION ACCESS AND
CAPACITY BUILDING FOR THE
TEACHERS.
2. MOTIVATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR
STUDENTS
THE DEAF WAY ……
1. Conducting seminars on current/modern
educational practices for the teachers.
2. Enriching the experience of school
students by hosting interschool events
such as painting, drama and dance, quiz
and other competitions, fun fairs,
adventure sports, summer camps etc.
3. TEACHERS/STUDENTS AWARDS and
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
SIGN LANGUAGE
 THE STATUS OF SIGN LANGUAGE IS VERY
POOR.
 SIGNING DEAF PERSONS ARE CONSIDERED
TO BE MENTALY DEFICIENT AND ILL
EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH LIFE.
 SIGN LANGUAGE WAS INTRODUCED TO THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEARING
HANDICAPPED IN THE YEAR 2001, BY OUR
HOSTING A NATIONAL LEVEL EVENT ON
SIGNLANGUAGE AND BILINGUALISM IN
DEAF EDUCATION.
INTERPRETING
 INTERPRETERS AND INTERPRETING
SERVICES ARE VIRTUALLY UNHEARD OF
UNTIL A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
 THE DEAF WAY STARTED ATTENDING
EVENTS AND ASKING TO BE ALLOWED TO
INTERPRET. GRATIS.
 DISABILITY ORGANISATIONS DID NOT HAVE
PROVISION FOR INTERPRETERS IN THEIR
MEETINGS NEITHER DID THE GOVT.
INTERPRETERS
 THE SITUATION WITH IAN STILLMAN’S
ARREST AND INCARCERATION 2001.
 THE FIRST EVER PROTESTS BY THE
DEAF COMMUNITY WERE LED BY THE
DEAF WAY.
 19000 POSTCARDS WERE SENT WITH
A VARIETY OF APPEALS TO THE
PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER.
A DEAF PERSON’S RIGHTS
 THIS WAS NEVER IN ANYONE’S MIND.
 IAN WAS REFUSED AN INTERPRETER
 THE SUPREME COURT SAID HE WAS
HEARING BECAUSE HE COULD SPEAK
 DEAF PEOPLE ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY WERE TERRIFIED
 GOD ONLY KNOWS HOW MANY IANS
ARE STILL IN JAIL SOMEWHERE.
HIV/AIDS AWARENESS
 WORKED WITH PROJECT SIGN POST
FROM 1997 TO 1999
 DISMAL FINDINGS ON INFORMATION
LEVELS PREVALENT IN URBAN AREAS
 CREATED TWO TEAMS OF PEER
EDUCATORS WHO CONDUCT 4 DAY
RELATIONSHIPS AND HEALTH
WORKSHOPS.
VOCATIONAL TRAINING
 NONE OF THE REHAB / VOCATIONAL
CENTERS IN INDIA RUN BY THE GOVT FOR
THE DEAF ARE CERTIFIED BY THE MINISTRY
THAT RUNS THEM.
 THE DEAF WAY RUNS THREE CENTERS
TEACHING COMPUTERS AND ENGLISH AND
PRACTICAL LIFE SKILLS.
 ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING
WORKSHOPS
PLACEMENT
 GOVT JOBS ADVT FOR THE DEAF
HAVE NO PROVISION FOR
INTERPRETERS DURING THE
INTERVIEWS.
 1% OF GOVT JOBS ARE RESERVED
FOR THE DEAF.
 WE DO PLACEMENTS THROUGH
PERSONAL CONTACTS AND
RECENTLY THROUGH AN AGENCY
WITH MODERATE SUCCESS.
DEAF FRIENDSHIP CLUBS
 SET UP FIRST FRIENDSHIP CLUB IN
DELHI IN 1988.
 WE NOW RUN 56 SUCH CLUBS IN 11
STATES IN INDIA
 COUNTERING THE ISOLATION EACH
FEELS AND PROVIDES A PLATFORM
TO SHARE TO GROW TO MEET
INTERACT
 COUNSELLING FOR PARENTS.
OTHER PROGRAMS
 MATRIMONIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
 ANNUAL LEADERSHIP CAMPS
 SIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING TO
EMPLOYERS AND HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS
 LAMAZE TRAINING FOR WOMEN AND
LABOUR ROOM INTERPRETING.
OTHER PROGRAMS
 SOCIAL WORK ORIENTATION FOR THE
DEAF
 RELIEF WORK WITH A DEAF TEAM
- ORISSA FOR 14 DAYS
- GUJARAT FOR 21 DAYS
- TSUNAMI FOR 10 DAYS
DEAFNESS AND LAW
 STARTED EDUCATION ON THE LAW
AND VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE
LAW IN 2004
 FORMALISED IT INTO A SERIES OF
CLASSES FOR WHICH WE GOT
RESOURCE PERSONS FROM HUMAN
RIGHTS LAW NETWORK
TOOLS FOR GROWTH
 WE ARE CREATING VCD’S OF
CLASSES AND LECTURES ON THE
VARIETY OF SUBJECTS WE COVER.
 THESE ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE
FRIENDSHIP CLUBS WE RUN
 WE WISH TO SET UP A FULL FLEDGED
VIDEO STUDIO AND DUPLICATION
UNIT.
CIVIL RIGHTS
 THE NEED FOR RIGHTS BASED
ACTION IS OBVIOUS
 THE PARADIGM OF CHARITY HAS TO
BE ERADICATED
 DEAF TO BE VIEWED AS A SOCIOLINGUISTIC ISSUE, NOT A MEDICAL
ONE
A NEW FACE
 TO SPEARHEAD THE DEAF
MOVEMENT WE NEED LEADERSHIP
 AS LEADERS OF THE MOVEMENT WE
FELT A NEW ORGANISATION SHOULD
BE FORMED
 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
THE DEAF.
N.A.D.
 WAS LAUNCHED ON DECEMBER 3RD
2005
 THE ONLY WORK IT WILL DO IS
RIGHTS BASED ACTIVISM AND
LITIGATION.
 CURRENTLY FILING PUBLIC INTEREST
LITIGATION IN THE SUPREME COURT
ON DRIVING LICENCES,
INTERPRETING, EDUCATION.
THE WAY FORWARD
 INGO’S NEED TO LEAD THE WAY
 PROVIDING RESOURCES OF VARIOUS
TYPES
 PROVIDING ROLE MODELS IN TERMS
OF NON DISCRIMINATORY POLICY
AND PRACTICE
 PROVIDE TRAININGS FOR POLICY
MAKERS WITH REGARD TO DISABILITY
PROGRAMMING.
THANK YOU FOR
THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO
SHARE