Signs of the Future

Signs of the Future

Indira Gandhi National Open University’s (IGNOU) Bachelor of Arts programme in Applied Sign Langauge, the first of its kind in the world, is preparing hearing-impaired students for higher education.

Twenty-year-old Sheena Kaul sits in the first row of her undergraduate class, a notebook in hand with ‘Jammu and Kashmir’ written over it. Animated and ever-smiling, Kaul, who hails from Kashmir, dreams of becoming a filmmaker after graduation. But with a difference: She wants to make films for people who have hearing and speech impairment — the community she
belongs to and feels for.

Wearing a printed, yellow kurta, she gestures with her hands and tries to say something, unsuccessfully though, as one of her instructors explains something to her in sign language. Some of her classmates try to speak without uttering a word — to tell the stories of how they have come from distant homes in search of education and success.

This is the scene in a classroom where 30 hearing-impaired students are pursuing a novel Bachelor of Arts programme in Applied Sign Language at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Launched in collaboration with University of Central Lancashire (UcLAN) of Britain, the programme, experts believe, is the first of its kind in the world.

Launching the programme, Vice Chancellor V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai said, “IGNOU is aiming to create through the programme sign language teachers and professionals to support the hearing-impaired. Teaching assistants and interpreter trainers in the field are in short supply in India.

“According to an estimate, only 5 percent of hearing-impaired children attend schools in India. Even where special schools for the hearing-impaired exist, they do not have adequate technical and teaching staff. We must create qualified professionals in the field.”

Kaul’s classmate is 22-year-old Renu Ahuja from Mumbai. She wants to teach in a school for the hearing-impaired after completing her higher education. She has one demand, though. “No one has ever interviewed us. You are the first one — do publish it in a newspaper and we will show it to our parents who were not very supportive and caring,” she said, as an interpreter translated that into English.

“My dream is to study more, graduate from here and then get a Master’s and a Ph.D. After that, I shall teach in a school for the hearing-impaired and help improve their condition,” she said in an emotional tone, while ‘speaking’ to one of her teachers. “It’s really great to ‘graduate’ in our own
language,” she said, almost jumping for joy.

“The programme will help the hearing-impaired better their life, both socially and financially,” said Prof. P.R. Ramanujam, Director of IGNOU’s Staff Training and Research Institute of Distance Education (STRIDE).

“The larger impact, however, will be their contribution to hundreds of schools for the hearing-impaired across the country ,which are suffering for want of qualified and trained teachers,” said Sibaji Panda, course leader and a lecturer at the UcLAN.

Panda, who himself is hearing-impaired, not only helped design the course after toiling for nearly two years but also arranged scholarships for 10 of the students from a Netherlands-based voluntary organisation.

“Why only India, all Third World countries will benefit from this course,” Panda said. Agreed Mohammad Kakuja, a student from Uganda. “The education scenario for hearing-impaired students in my country is not good and here in India it is great. I came to know about this course while surfing the internet and am indebted to IGNOU for it.”

“After completing four years of study here, I will go back to my country and start teaching in a school for the hearing-impaired. What I am learning must go back to people like me who have been suffering,” added the 26-year-old Kakuja.

Guan Xeunsong, a student from the Henan province of China, was enthusiastic about his arrival in India. “I want to learn about the culture of the hearing-impaired. About Indian sign language and many other aspects of such a unique course,” he said. He used to teach in a school for the hearing-impaired and plans to resume teaching after completing his education here in Delhi.

But for Babloo Kumar, a student from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, the aim is slightly different. “People and governments have neglected us. They humiliate us in a restaurant, at bus stations, in a ration shop or while travelling in train. After we become well-educated, we can confront them with confidence and ask the government to listen to our demands — for equal opportunity in both education and employment.”

“Please treat us as equals. We can do everything other people can do. This education will empower us to be where we belong,” said the spirited 18-year-old who also wants to become a teacher. Added Rabindra Nath Sarkar: “Both my parents are deaf. One of their siblings is deaf too. Only my sister is normal. By getting educated, I want to improve the condition of my community back home in Kolkata.”

Prof. Panda said the course would make every student a bilingual expert— both in sign language and in English. “It will teach them both the languages. Besides theory classes, they will do practicals, both at the university and at schools for the hearing-impaired. They will also learn computers, which will assist them in learning and teaching. The course is unique and I can say this with confidence,” he added.

Gitanjali Nair, who translates for both Prof. Panda and his students, is equally optimistic. “Forgetting every problem, these students want to study hard, make friends and know each other’s cultures. When they pass out from this university, they will be assets for their communities,” Nair said, smiling and encouraging students in a language understood by her pupils.

The signs are eloquent!

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Programme
The course has a duration of 1+3 years. The first year constitutes the foundation course, which culminates in the 4-year degree programme in Sign Language. The preparatory certificate course is a one-year full-time programme. Students pursue six modules, focusing on English literacy and various skills (IT, personal
development planning, etc). All modules are taught and assessed through sign
language and are specifically designed to meet the needs of hearing-impaired
learners.

Unique feature
Launched by STRIDE, the course has been developed in collaboration with the International Centre for Sign Languages and Deaf Studies (iSLanDS) at the University of Central Lancashire (UcLAN) in Britain. The modules have been developed by iSLanDS Centre to be taught in India, beginning 2009. UcLAN and IGNOU teachers will jointly conduct these courses.

Fee
The course fee is Rs. 10,000 per year.

Admission
Admission to this programme starts alongside the University’s general admissions session. There are 30 students this year for the first-year foundation course. Five of them are from China, Nepal, Kenya, Uganda and Burundi.