Pune to host workshop for empowerment of deaf people

10.02.2019
The Pahal Foundation, a Pune-based NGO, that is working to empower the deaf community, is organizing the first-ever state level workshop on sustainable development and accessible empowerment of deaf people. The workshop will bring together people from the deaf community in India and abroad.

The venue is Pimpri-Chinchwad and the date 24 February and there are plans to make this an annual event.

Deaf leaders and community members will come together on this platform to work on issues that are crucial for the long term development of people who are deaf, like

Education

One of the main concern that will be addressed is the need for quality education for children of the deaf community. Existing facilities are not inclusive and fail to make any major impact on the lives of deaf people.

Schools and higher education institutes are not equipped to handle the educational needs of the deaf students and this only hampers their growth and future prospects. Pradeep More, Co- Founder, Pahal Foundation said, "We need an effective education module that will ensure that good quality education is provided to students who are deaf. Through this workshop we aim to raise a united voice for all the deaf students who are missing out on good education due to the inefficiency of the education system.”

Awareness
Another aspect that will be looked into at the meet up is to spread awareness among people who are deaf about their rights. Many people miss out on vital opportunities as they are not aware of the various rights and welfare schemes that are available for them.

Dynamic deaf presenters such as, Sibaji Panda, Rajesh Ketkar, K. Murali, Manoj Patwari, Hulusi Bati, Virendra Singh, Aniket Selgaonkar will enlighten the participants on various topics. Senior consultant for deaf education, Surinder Randhawa is also one of the presenters.

I feel that people in cities and bigger towns are becoming aware about Indian Sign language however, the same is missing in smaller towns, villages and remote areas. Initiatives taken by organisations such as Pahal Foundation can bring about that change. I hope the workshop will become an effective platform for motivation and empowerment of the people of the deaf community.” - Arvind Karbhari , Indian Sign Language Teacher

The workshop is completely accessible and welcomes people who are deaf and also their families to ensure that everyone can come together at a common platform for rights of the deaf people.