Breaking communication barrier must, say experts

Sunit Dhawan

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Tribune News Service

Rohtak, December 10

A galaxy of care-givers, experts, special educators, students and research scholars dedicated to education of speech-and-hearing impaired individuals descended on the campus of Pandit Lakhmi Chand State University of Performing and Visual Arts (PLCSUPVA) at Rohtak for an international conference on ‘Deaf Education: Challenges and Way Forward’ which commenced today.

The two-day conference, organised by the Haryana Welfare Society for Persons with Speech and Hearing Impairment (HWSPSHI), Panchkula, in collaboration with PLCSUPVA, focuses on identifying the key challenges and coming up with practicable and effective solutions towards the provision of quality deaf education.

Prof Ved Prakash, a former chairman of the UGC who was the chief guest at the inaugural session, admitted that addressing the concerns of students with special needs had been a neglected area and the cause of hearing impaired students is usually stifled by the lack of linguistic access.

He lauded the initiatives taken by Dr Sharanjeet Kaur, Chairperson of HWSPSHI, towards the establishment of Digital Sign Language Lab and Early Intervention Programme to ensure quality education, training and rehabilitation of hearing impaired students. Gopi Krishnan, General Secretary, All-India Federation of Deaf, who was the guest of honour on the occasion, floated the idea of a university dedicated to speech and hearing impaired students during his address.

The PLCSUPVA Vice-Chancellor, Prof Rajbir Singh, welcomed the delegates and explained the underlying idea behind organising the conference, which he termed as a pioneering and path-breaking initiative aimed at institutionalising the welfare initiatives and generating new, innovative ideas to mainstream children with special needs.

Dr Kaur called for provisions to ensure ample opportunities for speech and hearing impaired children. She emphasised on the need to break the communication barrier.