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Full Inclusion with Sign Language – International Week of the Deaf

Full Inclusion with Sign Language – International Week of the Deaf

“Nothing about us, without us!”

 

To quote author James Charlton, the slogan above “expresses the conviction of people with disabilities that they know what is best for them.” When working with deaf communities or any differently-abled community for that matter, the value of representation must be considered and integrated.

 

The international week of the deaf is an initiative of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), and it promotes the awareness of human rights and sign language by hosting a variety of events around the globe. Every year, the last week of September witnesses highly concentrated global advocacy to raise awareness about the deaf community on different levels.

 

The students and teachers at Mata Bhagwanti Chadha Niketan celebrate this week with great enthusiasm. Under the watchful eye of our teachers, students participate in various programs and events that require them to show their unique talents and express their views. All the events are designed in ways that ensure complete inclusion of the deaf community.

 

This year, to celebrate and empower the hearing impaired, our talented students wrote and performed skits on various social issues like gender discrimination, child abuse and right for education.

 

 

The skits above, performed using sign language, convey powerful messages and strike the right chords. Sign language is an essential tool of communication for tens of thousands of deaf people across the world. But in most cases, limitations in the use of this language make the children and adults who are hearing impaired deprived of their right to communicate with others, and therefore, from enjoying many other rights.

 

Language should be all-inclusive; learning sign language and using it more often can help ensure that. During this International Week of the Deaf, it is important to remember that without the inclusion of the deaf community, we are not only being unfair to our own brethren, but also missing out on their valuable contribution to society.

Why is it important to create an inclusive society with Sign Language?

Why is it important to create an inclusive society with Sign Language?

India is the 7th largest country in the world. Out of the 1.3 billion people that live here, 18 million are hearing impaired. That’s 1% of our entire population. When such a huge number of the Indian population suffers from hearing impairment, isn’t it our duty to build an inclusive society where everyone can live peacefully?

The hearing impaired miss out on a lot of things they actually deserve, and that isn’t right. Someone’s physical disability should not stand in the way of their betterment and improvement.

The inclusion of sign language should start at the very beginning of social interaction – schools. Schools are the one of the first platforms of social engagement children experience. At a young age, children can learn sign language very quickly. This will help them speak ‘without’ speaking, which might prove immensely beneficial for children who aren’t very comfortable verbalising what they are going through. Likewise, learning sign language can teach kids to be empathetic and grasp certain emotions better.

Sign Language

Following are some ways to incorporate sign language in our teaching methods:

  • Signing letters as you teach them.
  • Signing songs that are traditionally sung in the classroom.
  • Signing words used during snack time.
  • Signing numbers, months, days, pledges, names and feelings.

Most commonly used by the hearing impaired, sign language can work wonders for many others, including those who face trouble speaking.

sign language

Mata Bhagwanti Chadha Niketan is a school for special children that creates a warm, nurturing environment for students, giving them plenty of scope to excel in academics, communication, social skills, basic application sciences and self-care skills. Our teaching programmes have been developed after careful consideration of our students’ special needs, and our teachers are always committed to making their lives easier.

To learn basic sign language, click here!