World Deaf Day – It's time to share the concerns!

By Jayasharma V S

This year I will actively take part in the World Deaf Day celebrations on September 23. Till last year, I did not have even the slightest clue that a day of this kind existed until I hit upon an interesting news item on the internet! I will tell you about this a bit later but for now let us see more about this World Deaf Day.

As the name suggests, World Deaf Day is celebrated for the deaf and by the deaf. We must understand that Deaf Day is not a day to merely extend our sympathies to the deaf but to see it as an opportunity for us to make a change in their lives. The World Deaf Day sees the largest congregation of deaf people in different parts of the world and is marked with rallies, and deaf awareness campaigns. Fun events are also conducted for the deaf. Now to the interesting news item I read on the internet.

In a novel experiment during World Deaf Day last year, the students at Valencia High School in California decided to live the life of a deaf for one full day and what better day to do this than on the World Deaf Day. From the moment they woke up on the morning of September 23, 2008 and until night these students wore signs that said "deaf" on them, wore earplugs, and used only sign language to talk. For me the experiment was not an ordinary one! I am sure the students must have felt it the same way. I saw this experiment as not only a fun way to learn things but an exhilarating way to experience the hard world of the deaf and more than that understand and alleviate their difficulties in all possible ways.

Some facts about the deaf community in India: Health care is the need of the hour
The novel experiment by the Valencia students was an eye opener for me. I began to spend more time in finding out more and more about the life of the deaf and how I could help them. My first task was to find out some facts about the deaf community in India. There are different estimates on the population of the deaf people in India. The Association of Sign Language Interpreters (ASLI) puts the figure at between 7 and 10 million. And some other estimates put it as high as 60 million. Whatever the numbers are, the deaf community needs our unified support. And to know how we could support them it is important to understand how deafness is caused. Deafness is caused by various reasons and is not limited to the popular culprits: genetics and congenital disorders. Trauma, infections, build-up of fluids or wax, atmospheric pressure changes, toxins, allergies or reactions to certain medications and therapies, and even occupational hazards could cause deafness.

As far as India goes there is a direct link between poverty and subsequently the access of proper medical care. People who are not born deaf but get affected due to other reasons stand a good chance of getting cured. However poverty deprives them of quality health care and subsequently they lose the power to hear! So, providing quality health care becomes the primary step in helping the deaf community in India. You and I could step in to do our bit here. To begin with you could help a poor child in your community with access to medical facilities. You could also take part in the awareness campaigns organized by organizations for the deaf in your area.

The language of the deaf
While the American Sign Language (ASL) is globally preferred as the language for the deaf, different sign languages are being used by the deaf community living in different countries. In India there are many dialects of sign language. From the predominantly popular Indo-Pakistani Sign Language (IPSL), to the metro-specific Delhi Sign Language, Bombay Sign Language, almost every metro has its own Sign Language. Today, the deaf community in India is reportedly working towards a single sign language.

As you might already know, the deaf people have their own special schools. Almost every state in the country has deaf education organizations that run schools to offer speech and auditory therapy, educate them and provide placements besides training teachers of the deaf. There is the popular Association of Sign Language Interpreters (ASLI) that provides the deaf community of India with quality interpreting services, quality training and placement opportunities. The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is an organization that works towards the rights of the deaf from the Government and policy makers. From the government side, the Rehabilitation Council of India offers interpreter training, maintains a National Directory of Interpreters, and provides training to teachers.

Sign language interpretation as a profession in India
When compared to other countries, the concept of sign language interpreting as a professional service for deaf persons is yet to gain foothold in India. And to achieve this formal and effective training into sign language interpretation becomes necessary. It is heartening to see that organizations like ASLI along with government and non-government organizations are working towards this. These organizations help create awareness in the general public about the interpreters for the deaf, provide structured training and aim to bring the concept of interpreting in India in line with the UN Convention on Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD) that could earn interpreting a professional status in the country.

What you could do?
Silence has its own respectable space in our lives. Sometimes silence has the power to convey our truest emotions where even the powerful words fail. I strongly feel that the World Deaf Day has much more meaning to it. I see this Day as a day to celebrate the boundless optimism of the deaf people to persist and prevail. I see this day as an opportunity for every one of us to pledge support, do our bit to the deaf community. Let this Day be the beginning of a little understanding of the fact that the lives of the deaf community should not be satirized. Secondly, let us not stop with mere sympathies and words but try to understand the needs of the deaf community and extend our support in every possible way.