BHU to host five-day Indian sign language workshop

Varanasi: The faculty of Education, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), will organise 'Sign Sphere 2026', a five-day workshop and training programme on Indian Sign Language (ISL), from Oct 26 to 30.

The programme aims to sensitise participants to deafness, promote awareness of ISL as a natural language, and help them develop basic sign-language communication skills.

Head and dean, faculty of Education, Prof Sunil Kumar Singh, said the training is designed for B.Ed. Special Education (Hearing Impairment) students of Semesters I and III, as well as teachers from special schools for deaf students in Varanasi.

Participants will learn basic signs, form simple sentences, practise everyday conversations, understand appropriate ways to communicate with deaf persons, and learn about the role of ISL interpreters.

The programme seeks to promote inclusive communication, improve accessibility, and build a deeper understanding of the linguistic and communication needs of the hearing impaired community.

Experts from the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) will take part in the workshop to enrich students' knowledge and strengthen their understanding of Indian Sign Language and inclusive communication.

An online platform is moving beyond sign language to help India’s deaf community communicate

Atypical Advantage also organises inclusion retreats and immersive workshops for corporates

People with disabilities can register on Atypical Advantage and receive training in UI/UX designing, business etiquette, written English, and other digital skills.

New Delhi: It was Vineet Saraiwala’s mission to help people with hearing disability learn to write in English. Four months ago, his company came up with a “self-paced” course to help millions.

“Written English is a powerful tool because it allows deaf people to communicate without a mediator or an interpreter,” Saraiwala, the CEO and founder of Atypical Advantage, told ThePrint.

The platform helps people with hearing impairments improve their English reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and communication skills. Through Indian Sign Language explanations, activities, and assessments, Atypical Advantage empowers them to develop their English proficiency and communicate more independently.

Started in 2020, Atypical Advantage, which describes itself as “India’s largest livelihood platform for persons with disabilities”, has given a platform to persons with disabilities to learn, showcase their talent, and eventually be hired by multinational companies.

It has brought together people with disabilities and corporates on a single website, bridging the “supply & demand side inefficiencies”. People with disabilities can register on the platform and receive training in UI/UX designing, business etiquette, written English, and other digital skills, through Atypical Upskill. Four months ago, the platform also started offering special online English classes for people with hearing impairment.

Those looking to get employed can also apply for jobs in companies across different sectors directly through the website.

Companies, on the other hand, can hire full-time employees, book awareness workshops or buy or commission artworks by artists with disabilities.

Ideation

It all started when Saraiwala went looking for a voice-over artist and a model with a disability for a leading corporate. He struggled to find anyone, and thought of a platform that could fill this gap.

An IIM Bangalore graduate, Saraiwala, from Jamshedpur, was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa in 2006 when he was 16. It is a degenerative eye condition that causes deterioration of eyesight with age.

Before coming up with Atypical Advantage, Saraiwala worked at Big Bazaar in operations and strategy, where he hired thousands of people with disabilities as part of a programme.

It became a learning experience for him, and shaped his decision to start Atypical Advantage.

Atypical Advantage has around 500 performers, singers, comedians, entertainers and artists who can show their talent to the world and earn money through the platform. And about 50,000 job seekers are currently registered on it.

Saraiwala said Atypical Advantage has impacted more than 5,000 people with disabilities since its inception in 2020, including over 1,500 who have secured full-time jobs.

Micron, Nivea, Tata Motors, Nestle, Godrej Consumer Products — around 23 companies have hired employees through Atypical Advantage.

After doing his bit for the disabled community, Saraiwala moved on to his next mission, particularly in “language.”

Saraiwala said people with hearing impairment learn through visuals. He maximised the visual learning aspect through technology.

The aim was to build on their strengths, which could only happen by teaching them how to write and communicate better.

“Most of the deaf people in our country struggle to write basic written English, which is a barrier, especially in corporate sector,” said Saraiwala

Atypical Advantage solved problems for people with hearing impairment.

“They can access anything they want to access. Like if they want to become a scientist, astronomer, or a B.Tech graduate, they can become one,” he said.

Saraiwala said that there is little to no sign language literacy in India.

Hence, he said, “I believe written English is a powerful tool so that they can speak without any mediator or an interpreter. English has unified our country as a linked language. But no one has thought about the deaf community.”

‘Just a button away’

Saraiwala argued that what makes Atypical Advantage different from other platforms is that it is easily accessible.

“This course is just one button away,” he said

Unlike periodic classes or NGO-led initiatives, Atypical Advantage’s course is readily accessible. It uses Indian Sign Language and visual lessons.

The 180-hour long English course costs Rs 499 and is divided into four parts — Basic English, vocabulary and grammar, real-life communication, and Advanced English. According to Saraiwala, most people from Maharashtra, Karnataka, and the Delhi-NCR region are joining the course.

He now wants to extend the programme to schools in the coming years.

“We are actually working on solutions like speech to text and again use AI to solve the communication barrier for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. So we want to improve English literacy outcomes across the country,” he said.

Atypical Advantage has now adopted five to seven deaf schools across the country, including in Bengaluru.

“In addition to sign language, people with hearing impairment can be fluent in written English, the only way to move upwards on the career ladder,” he said.

(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)

Indian Man Shares Experience With Deaf Cab Driver In US, Internet Reacts

The driver handed a small welcome card explaining his condition.

An Indian tech entrepreneur shared his cab ride experience in the United States, revealing that the driver had a hearing disability. This sparked a conversation about accessibility and equal opportunity for people with disabilities. The founder named Gaurav Kheterpal, shared a post on X (formerly Twitter), revealing that he booked a Lyft to his hotel. Before the car arrived, the app alerted him that his assigned driver was deaf or hard of hearing. To make communication easier, the platform automatically displayed basic American Sign Language (ASL) phrases, such as "thank you" and "hello", directly on the screen.

When the cab pulled up, the driver handed Kheterpal a small welcome card explaining his condition. "He handed over a card stating so & welcoming me. And I said thank you in sign language," he wrote.

Reflecting on the journey, he asked, "Will we ever have the same level of opportunity and respect for specially enabled people in India & go beyond just offering them a quota in Government jobs?"

"There may be thousands of things wrong with the US & troll me for it, but as a country, it truly does provide equal opportunity for all, regardless of disability," he added. "India, we all need to step up."

Social media reactions

The post went viral, with users sharing their perspective on the topic. "Amazon is already hiring them in FC for packing, inventory stuff. That's the standard of a good MNC Company," one user wrote in the comment section of the post.

"@Uber_India in Bengaluru gives you info on the driver when you book the cab. Only no sign language info, which is good to know," another user shared their experience in Bengaluru.

"Indigo does it already. I have encountered several personnel at their check-in counters who were deaf and using sign language," a third user wrote, sharing their experience with the airline.

While a majority praised the move, some raised safety concerns, writing, "Actually, being deaf is a serious issue , if there is an emergency, to take action, be aware of situational awareness, it's important to have some level of hearing. Being not able to speak is fine; there are other avenues where they can work well."

6 sign languages from around the world

September 23 is observed as the International Day of Sign Languages. Here are six sign languages you should know about.

International Day of Sign Languages is observed every year on September 23 to raise awareness about the importance of sign languages and the rights of the hearing impaired. Contrary to popular belief, there is no single universal sign language. Different deaf communities have developed their own languages, shaped by history, culture and geography. Here are six sign languages you may not know much about. (unsplash)

American Sign Language (ASL): American Sign Language is a complete natural language used primarily by Deaf communities in the United States and parts of Canada. Interestingly, ASL has strong historical links to French Sign Language rather than British Sign Language. It developed through the interaction of French signing traditions with local sign languages in 19th-century America. (wikimedia commons)


French Sign Language (LSF): French Sign Language, or Langue des Signes Française (LSF), is one of the historically influential sign languages in the world. Its influence reached the United States through Laurent Clerc, who travelled from France to America in the 19th century and helped establish Deaf education there. ASL subsequently developed from a mixture of French signing and local American sign languages, although modern ASL and LSF are now distinct languages. (wikimedia commons)


British Sign Language (BSL): British Sign Language is the principal sign language used by Deaf communities across much of the UK. Despite English being the dominant spoken language in Britain, BSL is not English expressed through hand movements. It has its own vocabulary and grammar, as well as regional and generational variation. (wikimedia commons)


Indian Sign Language (ISL): Indian Sign Language (ISL) is a natural visual-manual language used by the community in India. It has its own linguistic structure and is not simply a signed version of spoken Hindi or English. ISL is used across India, although regional variations exist. The Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre describes it as a natural language native to India's Deaf community. (wikimedia commons)


Auslan: Australian Sign Language, commonly known as Auslan, developed from sign languages brought to Australia from Britain and Ireland during the 19th century. It has since evolved within Australian Deaf communities and developed distinctive vocabulary. Auslan also has major regional varieties, particularly associated with northern and southern Australia. (wikimedia commons)


New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL): New Zealand Sign Language developed from signing brought to New Zealand by British immigrants in the 19th century. It is closely related to British Sign Language and Auslan, with the three historically sharing a common linguistic ancestry. NZSL has nevertheless developed into its own language within New Zealand's Deaf community. (wikimedia commons)