Course in Basic Indian Sign Language

Though i was following their activities for a while since i saw their recruitment advt in newspapers,it was by a chance that i saw ability foundation's page on facebook, there was a new event regarding sign language class. Immediately when i saw it, i had decided somehow should attend the programme and not forego the chance, the chance to learn something new, a new language in itself, that would be very helpfull and handy as well to communicate with the more gifted and able people around who are disdainfully neglected. Especially when some one is interested in doing a bit of social service and volunteering, you'll never know how usefull it would be. By any chance i didnt want to regret not doing the course, otherwise the very thought would be continuous nag until a new worry comes up.

This was being conducted by Ability Foundation and The deaf way foundation . A brief information on what the both organisation does. Ability foundation's goal is to create a level playing field for persons with disabilities. It sees the society as a whole and not divided into mainstream and the fringe. To create an environment where awareness about the rights of disabled persons is absorbed like daily news. It is to emphasise the fact,time and again, that persons with disabilities have the same rights, like everyone else, to realise their potential in a way that they choose to. Then the society would co-opt them in all spheres of activity. The Deaf Way Foundation is a voluntary organisation working in the area of Deaf Welfare, conducting programes,vocational training,placement,interpreting services,counselling,leadership training, personality development,seminars,conferences and also publishing India's first magazine of its kind for Deaf Issues.

Know me by my name,my strengths,my abilities,hopes and dreams and not by my diagnosis.

Ok, hope the history and geography was not that boring. Now lets come to the focal point of this article.

There were around 18 of us signed up for the evening batch, it was for about two week in duration. Our instructor was deaf and couldnt speak,in literal sense using his mouth(after attending this programme i dont think it is right in calling people dumb,when in reality they are not). We started by learning the various alphabets.Then the various greetings. Our syllabus was divided into 14 days. Each day we had something new to find out,learn,practice and also test!

It was not necessary to spell the words all time as each and every word had a distinct sign language. Day 2 we learned forming simple sentences and translating them to sign language. But before that we learnt a few vocabulary. As in learning a new language, it was no different here either, only by learning new words and vocabulary did we able to get our signing more interesting. It was nothing close to dull or drab, because each moment was quite fun and there were smiles all around.Day 3 saw us learning simple questions,family relationship terms and then translating them into simple sentences in sign language. Day 4 we started questioning with quite a few words. Learning how to use where,who,Which,How many,When,day. Day 5 was just as interesting and important as previous days, we learnt to sign days,months and words associated with it. Day 6 saw us learning how to say no and other negtive aspects in a sentence,such as refusing or defering and also commands. Each and every day there were new vocabulary to be learnt, as it was quite lot to learn,it was done on two days. Day 8 saw us doing another feat, learning the numeirc part of signing, how to sign numerals with other words,and relating them, like years,rupees,months,weeks,time and also some vocabulary with it. On day 9 we learnt how to relate sign with actions, viz us and the others we're talking to. Day 10 was practice,revision and of course learning new words and vocabulary. Especially signing states,countries and cities. The 11th,12th,13th day were focused on dialogues and how to carry on conversations. Day 14 all participants had to sign a story on any topic that they wanted to share.It was interesting to see all enthusiastically signing the story with lot of preparation and fine execution, except me i got cold feet as i hadnt prepared a story. Sorry all, maybe next time we meet up, i would definitely have an interesting story to sign. ;)

with instructor Hari, who handled our first week of classes

with instructor Uday, who handled our second week of classes

One thing all were unanimous was how they had enjoyed learning to communicate with sign language and still had fun by keeping the mouth shut.It was an incredible and amazing in itself. It was indeed an enlightening ,insightfull experience into theworld of deaf and those who cant speak. Also everyone stressed on the fact that signing skills should be learnt by all,especially the school students.

Thanks to the organizers,the participants,the instructors hari and uday, we all hopefully had a good time learning with like minded people who are hell bent on doing their part for social cause.

People interested can contact Pavithra (pavithra.parandhaman@abilityfoundation.org) or buzz at 044-24452400

Resuming Blogging Again Full time

there was a gap in blogging for the past two months, was supposed to update and revamp the whole site with a new domain name, but the lazy i am, nothing worked out as i had planned.

But

CmU

is back with a bang!

The Local Heroes Section which was supposed to start atleast three months back, is finally on track and would be posted anytime soon.

Do check out What Local Heroes is about!

You too can nominate anyone who you think fits into the Local Hero as mentioned in CmU.

Not an Eye Opener but many!

Continued from The Abled and Disabled

It rather came unexpected and so suddenly that i couldnt comprehend the exact intensity of things that i had faced recently

Always i had been the very problematic hyper active talkative kid , as a kid i had never faced the actual learning disabilities, learned quite well,was the average kid around, but even i had few issues, no idea whether it could be classified as dyslexic because i used to speak fast mumbled jumbled with no proper coherence,and most part of it would have been nasal sound. Was quite shy, nervous and introvert most times.But somehow people adjusted with me. Some used to say i think faster than i speak, or i get too nervous and mix things up, guess thats why i used to hate giving speeches during seminar hour during my college days, and another factor the stage fear too. So however knowledgeable i'm i find extempore a skill in itself,which i could never do justice to. Even now i face quite some difficulties in remembering names and faces and more importantly while speaking pronouncing words which are lengthy i get stuck intermittently how ever well i know them.

I lived,I dreamed and i did all i wanted to but never thought about others(not just the poor,socially inept,the needy,the orphans) in the sense the so called disabled or handicapped and how the world was cruel filled with disparity in not adjusting or adhering to their genuine needs. All long we've co-existed with our movie stars,our friends,neighbhours,superheroes,ghost,animals,plant life,the poor,world,universe,this,that and innumerable issues..

Living amongst us are people of a special kind with much special abilities,more determination,confidence,performance, not just the average humans. They are the so called disabled ,the handicapped, the retarded living with prejudice, designed in a world that makes things much more harder for them than an average so called "normal" humans yet they succeed in many things more than us in various aspects of life. Their will and endurance speaks much more of themselves than all possible things we "normal" humans have achieved in our mere existence.Saluting their incredible spirit, let me introduce few people whom i met very recently,which kind of gave me jolt to know more and do what i can!

I was applying for my higher studies and had to get all my certificates signed by a notary.I found it be very expensive from notaries around here in mylapore and nearby areas for signing the document,since there were numerous copies to be signed(in hundreds). So through a common friend came to know of a advocate notary based in perambur who did the same for students at a nominal cost. As my application was getting delayed, i had no choice but to make the trip down there as i could find no one as with similar price down here. So i contacted him and got an appointment fixed as we was a busy guy and didnt do much notaries but only if recommended by friends and known people and also he was more into the advocate work, he was a specialist civil lawyer.

It was a meeting i couldnt forget.Being new to that place i had to repeatedly call him for directions.Finally found where his office was located.But he hadnt arrived yet. There was an ancient church nearby so thought of visiting it and also while away my time, not exactly very religious or so ;). And also there was no parking available near his office as it was a busy one way lane and my parking problem was solved. Thanks to the big parking lot the church had. He called up once he had reached his office.He was very cordial and spoke with authority.He asked me about what i was doing,history,geography and what i intended do,how i found him and all.Then suddenly we were speaking about india in general, the various issues it was facing, the legal system and how old it is and so on. And how many things had to be changed for better. Then finally he asked the documents and how many were there and their originals for a check before he could begin signing.

Only during that moment i did realise something didnt seem the way it isnt,bu couldn connect to what it really was.But was to find the following very second. Then i realised he didnt have a right arm in whole.It was an artificial prosthetic that he was wearing.No idea whether he was left hander whole of his life or he had to become one after an accident. I will never know because i didnt have the guts to ask him. Though he had bit difficult in signing continuously by turing one sheet after other, but fairly he had got used to it and adjusted accordingly so that he could give his max performance. I just began to imagine how it would be not have a hand either right or left. How much are we dependent on it to perform even the most easiest of things on earth, how would it be for others who dont have one. How exhausting and frustating it would be for them in an already partially prejudiced world.

His disability i suppose had never come in his way of going through his personal and professional work and responsibilities or guess he would have adjusted accordingly.But the beauty is that even though he had an issue, he is surviving and surviving incredibly at that,than the most of the fittest average humans.

Though they dont have any serious condition or issues than others who are out there, they were kind of inspiration for me to know more about such issues and how they're able to survive in this apathetic world.

Hats off to them and the others out there.

to be continued...