THE DEAF INDIAN vol#4

QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE DEAF

One year over — here's to a brighter future!

Happy Birthday NAD! As we approach the 3rd of December 2006, not only can we look forward to another World Disability Day, the chance to raise awareness and highlight the needs of persons with disabilities to the authorities and the public at large, it also marks the first anniversary of NAD. And what a year it has been. What started as the vision of a small group individuals has now culminated in an association of at least 5,000 members nation wide, which is gradually getting more and more public attention, has been able to influence Government bodies and has begun networking with other deaf organisations from all over the country. And this is only the beginning. Of course the road to deaf empowerment will be a long and slow one, but with the conclusion of NAD's first year, it is clear to see that the Deaf community has finally woken up and we can already see the beginnings of a brighter future ahead. The deaf civil rights movement in India has begun!

Department of Personnel and Training is still failing the Deaf Community

On Tuesday 21st November the Deaf community was heartened to see that the three hearing impaired persons, Salma Fahim, Abhijit Chakraborty and Mani Ram Sharma had finally been allotted services by the Department of Personnel and Training. The advocacy work that NAD had taken up alongside Disability Rights Group had been successful, and the case even went so far as to reach the desks of the Prime Minister and the President of India. Alok Speaker even took it upon himself to write personally to the PM on the matter urging him to intervene and resolve the problem.

However, while this was a positive step in putting an end to discrimination against persons with disability, and in particular against persons with hearing impairment, the Deaf community still felt disappointed by the allotment of the different services and saw the urgent need to reiterate in particular the case of Mani Ram Sharma and the discrimination that he is still facing. While Salma and Abhijit were allotted the Indian Administrative Services and the Indian Foreign Services respectively, Mani Ram, who scored highest of the three in the CSE exams, was allotted the lower service of Postal and Telecommunications Services. As a totally deaf candidate the DoPT would not allot him a post as an IAS officer, which is classified as only being open to the partially deaf.

Somewhere, contrary to the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act of 1995, the DoPT has seen fit to split hearing impaired persons into two categories; the partially deaf and the totally deaf. As a result, despite the fact that Mani Ram Sharma is our CSE topper, ranked and scoring highest in the interview out of all CSE candidates, both deaf and non-disabled, he is unable to qualify for IAS on merit alone. He is barred on the simple reasoning that he is deaf. There is an urgent need to reassess the functional classification of services. Why should a post be open for a partially deaf candidate, and not for a candidate who is totally deaf? Surely, this is discrimination of the grossest kind.

NAD held a candlelit vigil at India Gate on the evening of Saturday 25th November; one week before crowds of disabled people will congregate there for World Disability Day. The deaf community are standing up in full support of Mani Ram Sharma. They want to see him as India's first deaf IAS officer!

National Symposium on Disability and the Law

Throughout the year NAD has had strong links with a national Human Rights organisation, Human Rights Law Network (HRLN). Earlier in the year, with the support of HRLN, NAD filed a petition on Driving Licenses for the Deaf. NAD also has two draft Public Interest Litigations ready to be filed on Education of the Deaf and the provision of Sign Language Interpreters.

Most recently HRLN organised a National Symposium on Disability and the Law for Persons with Hearing Impairment. This was a two day conference and saw lawyers and deaf activists from across the country come together to discuss pertinent issues facing the deaf community in India as well as the legal action that can be taken to help tackle the various problems. Over the two days issues were discussed such as education of the deaf, employment and sexual harrassment.

From across the different states lawyers were able to meet deaf leaders and activists and form a contacts, linking the deaf community with easily accessible legal redress. For many deaf persons present it was the first time they were able to raise their different problems in front of a group of lawyers and

The symposium concluded with an address from Shri. Arun C. Rao, the President of NAD, on deaf leadership and the way forward. He expressed his desire that the most important thing to come of this National Symposium was the networking between all the different deaf organisations, stating that it was now the time for all deaf organisations to put their differences aside for the sake of the greater good. Only by working together, forming a nationwide network and supporting each other in a mutual cause can the deaf civil rights movement grow, flourish and achieve full rights and empowerment of the deaf community in India.

World Social Forum in India

Not only has NAD been networking with other organisations working with and for the deaf community, it has also recently been networking with organisations from across the disability sector. Under the support of Handicap International, several disability organisations clubbed together in order to ensure that disability was an issue that was represented at the World Social Forum when it came to New Delhi from the 9th – 13th November 2006.

While many different issues were being talked about and discussed such as poverty, child and women's rights, rights of tribals, and many other issues, disability was not included as any of the 12 themes of the Forum. Yet as disability is a cross cutting issue across all the themes, it was important that there was representation of Persons with Disabilities present at the social forum.

This group of disability organisations had two stalls which they shared amongst themselves throughout the five days, as well as organising disability cultural events, ensuring that the venue was completely accessible and that disability was not being forgotten in all talks and discussions.

The NAD was also there in full force; postering walls with signs relating to deaf issues, handing out leaflets on Sign Language, networking with other non-disability organisations to promote the involvement of persons with disability within the ambit of their work and providing general information about NAD. It was the firm belief of all involved that disabilities should be represented in all areas and at all levels of the World Social Forum.

back to top