A peace walk was held at the Marina Beach on Sunday to commemorate the 55th International day of the Deaf. The rally was also meant to create awareness of the importance of sign language among the hearing impaired in India.
Organised by the Deaf Enabled Foundation (DEF), the participants in the rally created awareness by carrying banners related to deafness. Pamphlets on the right to use sign language in educational programs were also distributed.
DEF is an organisation with the mission of achieving equal access for the deaf in India in every walk of life, to enhance the quality of their lives, to provide educational facilities, promote socio-cultural awareness and barrier free communication for them.
One of the members said, “The needs of persons with hearing and/or speech impairment have been relatively neglected so far. The Planning Commission had stipulated that during the Eleventh Plan period, a Sign Language Research and Training Centre, at least one residential special school up to 12th grade for the deaf in every State and one degree college for the deaf in every zone should be established to promote their educational development.”
As per the 2001 Census, there were about 13 lakh deaf and hearing impaired persons in the country. They use sign language for communication amongst themselves.
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