International Day of Sign Language
Communicating with gestures and actions
M Ahmad
The UN General Assembly has proclaimed 23 September as the International Day of Sign Languages in order to raise awareness of the importance of sign language in the full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf.
It recognizes the importance of preserving sign languages as part of linguistic and cultural diversity. This day marks the birth of an advocacy organisation, which has as one of its main goals, the preservation of sign languages and deaf culture as pre-requisites to the realisation of the human rights of deaf people.
Sign languages are fully fledged natural languages, structurally distinct from the spoken languages. According to the World Federation of the Deaf, there are more than 70 million deaf people worldwide and collectively, they use more than 300 different sign languages.
Abhedananda Home at Solina, Rambagh, Srinagar, Kashmir is the oldest Institution in J&K using sign language to teach hearing and speech impaired (deaf and mute) children. It was established in 1941 as a residential home for Specially-abled children by Sawami Abhedananda to provide vocational training to Specially-abled persons.
The training was imparted in making cane chair, candles etc and also in music but as of now it is the only Higher Secondary Institution in J&K for Speech & Hearing Impaired (Deaf & Mute) and Visually Impaired (Blind) children.
The Institution now offer free of charges, formal and vocational education to nearly 100 deaf and mute children from Nursery to class 12th. It stands affiliated with J&K Board of School Education, Srinagar. Besides it provide vocational education in Computer, Music, Art & Drawing, Painting and Cutting and Tailoring.
From old and simple class rooms to smart room, the institution is equipped with Group Speech lab, Computer Lab, Vocational training Lab for deaf and mute children and as of now water purifiers and modern type wash rooms are available there for better health care of these children.
The Institution has created hundreds of pass outs of class 10th, 11th and 12th with flying colors achieving distinctions. A good number of pass outs have been provided jobs in Private, Public and Government Departments and Financial Institutions.
Not only in academics, the institution has produced best deaf and mute players and artists in games and sports and art and drawing. The players and the artists were felicitated by the Justice Ali Mohammad Magray, District Commissioner Srinagar and District Social Welfare Officer, Srinagar at various events endorsing there achievements. Some of the deaf children have played at National and International Level.
For the welfare of deaf and mute children, the University of Kashmir and USHA International Ltd is operating vocational courses at this Institution, free of cost for the students of the Institution as well as other children of the vicinity. The courses are of 03 months duration in “Cutting and Tailoring”, “Computer Basics” and “Tally”. These courses are offereed to make these children skilled for their future process of life.
The Institution is now and then visited by various Officers and other office bearers from J&K Administration, CRC, Police, CRPF, Army and NCC and provide assistance whatever required by the Institution.
(The author is In-charge Principal Abhedananda Home at Solina, Rambagh)
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