Deaf plan expo to make their voces heard

Mumbai: Imagine a world in which the deaf can make quick calls to the police during emergencies, ‘hear’ a baby crying in the next room or ‘hear’ the doorbell ring. While the West has developed both the technology and respect to make such a world possible for the hearing-impaired, India remains far behind when it comes to being disability-friendly.

The deaf community will come out of its own silent world to hold the India Deaf Expo (IDE) 2006 in December to raise awareness about the deaf as well as form a platform for educators, researchers, the parents of deaf children and the deaf themselves to interact. New, disabled-friendly technology will also be showcased.

While there are many schools for the deaf in India, there are no colleges for them. “After completing my schooling in Mumbai, I attended Lala Lajpatrai College, Haji Ali. I quit after six months because it was very difficult to cope with studies in the absence of an interpreter. My health, too, suffered during this time,’’ said Alok Kumar Kejriwal, the co-chairman of IDE and export director of Ampoules and Vials Mfg Co Ltd.

Twenty-eight-year-old Aqil Chinoy, convenor of the Expo, added, “Though I had supportive friends and family, it was difficult for me to cope with studies without any interpreter in a normal school and I had to take four tuitions to cope with studies.’’

Both Chinoy and Kejriwal went to Gallaudet University, Washington, US, after their schooling. The university is specially designed for the deaf, with 60% of teachers being deaf, too.

Kejriwal said it’s easier for the hearing-impaired to study at deaf institutions, unless regular schools are provided with interpreters. “At Gallaudet University, we could speak directly with our lecturers and without an interpreter,’’ added Chinoy. Kejriwal added that it’s important for the deaf to learn sign language, as it depends purely on vision.

A big hurdle for an educated deaf person is the lack of job opportunities after graduation, with both the private and public sectors closing doors to the deaf. However, Chinoy and Kejriwal fought the odds to become successful businessmen after returning to India.

It was in the US that they saw the stark contrast between the facilities provided to the deaf in the States and in India. “In America, the police, fire brigade, airport, railway stations, as well as all government services, had Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf (TDD), which enable deaf people to make a phone call from their own personal TDDs in case of an emergency, or whenever they needed to book tickets to travel, etc.’’ The US government provides deaf citizens with free TDDs, which are like normal telephones fitted with minitypewriters. The message is typed out and the reply flashes on an LCD screen.

In addition, airports and railway stations have written instructions and announcements for the deaf. Safety measures on planes are also explained in sign language. TV programs have subtitles called ‘closed captions’ for every show, so that the deaf know what’s going on.

Chinoy’s house in Bandra would make a great exhibition for deaf technology. His entire family is deaf. “We manage on our own, thanks to technology,’’ he told TOI. Chinoy, who finds it hard to wake up early in the morning, cannot hear the alarm clock, so he uses a ‘special’ alarm which vibrates under his pillow. He ‘hears’ the doorbell as every room is fitted with a light that shines when the bell rings. “When I was a baby, my mother would hear me crying in the next room, thanks to a device that lit up every time I cried,’’ he smiled.

For information on the deaf expo, visit www.indiadeafexpo.org

Alok Kumar Kejriwal, co-chairman of Indian Deaf Expo is a hearing impaired who has battled all the odds

Publication:Times of India Mumbai; Date:Aug 15, 2006; Section:Times City; Page Number:9