Carrying the torch for hearing impaired

A 50-year-old hearing impaired student awarded PhD degree at DSMNRU convocation. His PhD research is about usage of Indian sign language to develop literacy and improve life skills through a blended learning mode.

Lucknow: When 10-year-old Shivaji Panda gradually but completely lost his ability to hear , little did he or his parents knew that 40 years later he would complete his PhD.

It was Panda’s grit and determination that made him conquer the challenging situation and ultimately come out with flying colours.

Panda, now 50, was among the 36 others who received their PhD degrees during the convocation ceremony of Dr. Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University (DSMNRU). The university authorities claimed that he was the first hearing-impaired person in India to have been awarded a PhD degree.

He was not present at the ceremony due to his professional commitments, but he was as happy as a lark.

“I lost my aural power due to a genetic issue. At first, life felt as heavy as a mountain. We tried all sorts of medical help but failed. Finally, sign language showed me the path ahead. I was a good student but not very studious. My wife Prof. Ulrike inspired me to dream big , innovate and work for betterment not just for myself but also for others,” said Panda over WhatsApp .

He met his wife, a German professor who was researching Indian sign language, while working with a foundation in Delhi for hearing impaired women. They worked to create a formal one-year Indian sign language training course.

After completing his MA in Applied Linguistics from the UK he served as a senior lecturer in the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) for over 10 years and he was later actively involved in starting a pilot course (BA) in Applied Sign Language Studies as a joint project between UCLan and IGNOU.

His PhD research is about usage of Indian sign language to develop literacy and improve life skills through a blended learning mode.

“I do not consider the deaf as disabled but as a tribe with their own language and culture. I don’t crib about the problems but try finding a solution to them. I have founded Happy Hands School for deaf students in Odisha. My plan is to see all deaf children and adults get quality education in their mother tongue - sign language. At school we use sign language in the classroom and all our 11 teachers are deaf. This is part of my mission to bring deaf people out of the trauma of not getting right education,” he said.