Villages of the Deaf in India

Specially qualified in educating the hearing impaired

Mrs.Rebecca Doraipandian, the headmistress of CSI Higher Secondary School for the Deaf, located at No-12, Santhome High Road, Mylapore, Chennai-4, is specially qualified in educating the hearing impaired. She has been serving the school for the deaf very sincerely for the past 36 years in raising the academic standards of the pupils and in participating and organizing all types of events and functions. She hails from a god fearing Christian family.

Mrs.Rebecca completed her school education at St.Antony Girls Higher Secondary School, Mandaveli in the year 1965. After her school education, she did her pre-university and degree course at the Women’s Christian College (WCC) Nungambakkam in the year 1969. Rebecca is a specialist in her field with a senior diploma in special training for the deaf. Before she joined as a teacher at the CSI High School for the Deaf she worked for one year as a teacher in Rosary Matriculation School during 1970-71. Rebecca became the headmistress of the school in the year 2001, and till today puts her best efforts for the growth and development of the CSI Higher Secondary School for the deaf, at Santhome High Road.

Rebecca had attended an overseas exposure course on the rehabilitation of the handicapped for two month at Japan in the year 1985. Rebecca is a popular teacher and a good friend to all. She helps the hearing impaired in church sermons, association meetings, personal interviews with employers, appointments with doctors, lawyers etc. She has also presented papers at seminars on hearing impaired and gives lectures to the teacher trainees of the hearing impaired and social workers.

Rebecca is the school hostel manager, project manager for world vision, Kodambakkam, management committee member of CSI Ewart Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Purasawalkam and also is an advisory committee member for the Adyar Women’s Police. Rebecca plays the piano and guitar. Gifted with a beautiful voice, she dedicated her musical talent from a young age in singing with the church choir. Her powerful soprano voice often vibrates in the prestigious St.George’s Cathedral, Chennai. Her other activities includes compering programmes and events at the Madras YMCA.

Speaking to Chennai Plus reporter, Rebecca said that the school correspondent, Joseph Devasahayam and Rt.Rev.Bishop V.Deasahayam, CSI Schools, Diocese of Madras are always very helpful to her and are interested in the all round development and improvement of the school.

Rebecca was presented with citation by the Lions Club for her meritorious and selfless service on the Golden Jubilee of India’s Independence. She also was awarded the Diocesan award for producing school centum result in the CSI School for the Deaf. She has a rich experience in teaching the special children and is cheerful by nature. She is also positive and ambitious in attitude. This makes her a good headmistress.

Rebecca told Chennai plus reporter that whenever she happens to meet a hearing impaired person, student, she gives a friendly simile. “It costs you nothing, give your love not sympathy,” she further added.

Mrs.Rebecca Doraipandian, the special educator of the hearing impaired and headmistress of CSI Higher Secondary School for the Deaf can be contacted on 9840228182 / 24985675

Service for the Physically handicapped by “Guild of Service”

Mary Clubwala special school for the hearing impaired by Guild of Service at No.1775 D.School Road, Anna Nagar West, Chennai-101 was founded in 1979 and became a government aided school in 1983. To educate and re-habilitate the students who are from socially and economically disadvantaged, the school does not levy any charge but all expenses are met from donations collected from individuals and well-wishers.

A medical camp was conducted at the school on 26th July by Dr.Kumaravel, Dr.S.Murugasarathy, Dr.Elangovan, Dr.Thirunavukarasu. About 250 physically handicapped including hearing impaired, visually impaired were diagnosed and treated. They were issued with identity cards by the visiting doctors. The camp was organized by the correspondent of the school Mrs.Saraswathy Gopala Krishnan, Secretary Ranicol Joint Secretary Nirmala, Head Mistress Kamani and the staff of the school. The guest of the occasion was Mr.Joseph Xavier, district rehabilitation officer for the physically handicaped his assistant JRO. I.D. Ravi.The secretary while speaking to Chennai plus reporter said that the government grant and donations received are hardly enough to meet the expenses. The school compound wall and the building needs repair and they anticipate liberal donations from kindhearted well-wishers to meet the ends.

Waiting to be `heard'

Madan Vasishta from the Gallaudet University is working on a common Indian Sign Language for the hearing impaired

FIGHTING FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED Madan Vasishta

When Madan Vasishta lectures his PG or PhD class at Gallaudet University, Washington DC, the students watch. He signs his lessons in American Sign Language to his mixed class of hearing and hearing impaired graduates. He sometimes calls two interpreters — one to voice what he says and the other to sign to him their questions. Vasishta has 120 db bilateral hearing loss and "cannot hear even jet planes."

Hailing from a village in Himachal Pradesh, he dropped out of school due to hearing loss in sixth grade. For the next nine years, he milked buffaloes, ploughed fields and studied his brother's books. He passed Higher Secondary as a private candidate, moved to Delhi, acquired a diploma from the Photography Institute for the Deaf and was soon signing pay slips as Scientific Photographer at the National Physical Laboratory. He also started a night school for the adult deaf with support from the All India Federation of the Deaf (AIFD). The federation asked him to escort a hearing impaired U.S. visitor, and "by the end of the second day she suggested I migrate to Gallaudet. I didn't know what it was but in 1967, I was in Gallaudet."
Equal access

"In India, people ridicule signers," he says in guttural speech. "In the U.S. there is equal access for the hearing impaired in all areas — education, travel and entertainment."

Fingers fly, feet stamp and hands signal fast and furious at Ability Foundation as Vasishta addresses a group of hearing-impaired invitees. "Empower yourself," he gesticulates. "Demand concessions in SMS rates and transport charges, study, compete, get good jobs and insist on being `heard'." He continues, "Don't bicker among yourselves and don't allow others to suppress you." Vasishta has been working for a common Indian Sign Language. Is there a deaf culture? "Yes. In the U.S., generations of hearing-impaired sometimes live as an ethnic minority. Funnily enough, I have close friends who consider themselves culturally deaf. At least I am not that." What would his wish list read like? "Pro-interpreters appointed for government offices, courts, police stations, political assemblies, wherever people gather for information. Phone relay services and compulsory TV/movie captioning. Higher Secondary students choosing to sign up for elective ISL courses. They can become interpreters and teachers for the hearing impaired." He asks for a paper and writes furiously. "The total absence of deaf teachers, people and interpreters at the National Conference of Teachers of Deaf in Chennai is a glaring example of the vassal status the hearing give to the hearing-impaired. The government should require that all NGOs and government agencies have interpreters at their meetings and qualified deaf people be members of advisory committees. This can be done by an amendment of the 1995 Act."
GEETA PADMANABHAN

School for deaf celebrates 80th annual day

DANCING IN TANDEM: Students of the Little Flower Convent for the Deaf performing at their annual day programme on Monday.

CHENNAI : The 80th annual day celebrations of Little Flower Convent Higher Secondary School for the Deaf were held on Monday, with a variety programme by students.

Dr. Poongothai, Minister for Social Welfare, who commented on the performance of the disabled children saying "I am lost for words," noted that soon national identity cards would be issued for people with disabilities, after which children need not visit the Government Hospital for undergoing tedious audiology tests as the doctors themselves would be the visiting the schools.

The Government was planning to provide a subsidy for downtrodden children to get cochlear implantation surgery. She applauded the school management for helping the disabled children overcome their disabilities and assured the parents that their children were under safe hands.

Describing Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi as a brand ambassador for the disabled, she said the present government had undertaken a number of welfare measures for the disabled and referred to the setting up of a Special Commission for the Disabled as a case in point. Indira M. Kameshwaran, Executive Director and Correspondent, Speech and Hearing Institute, and industrialist Malaiappan participated.