Exclusion of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Citizens in India: A Call for Accessibility and Recognition of Sign Language
India’s push for equity in education, health care, and rights cannot succeed without dismantling ableist barriers that exclude Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) people.
Education
The National Programme for Prevention and Control of Deafness focuses on preventing and treating hearing impairment, but it does not focus on the quality of life for DHH individuals. Despite the National Education Policy 2020 recommending the standardized teaching of ISL across schools, its use in education systems remains sparse, even in schools for the deaf.
The Indian education system still focuses on “oralism,” where deaf people are taught to use their voices and lip read instead of using their hands to communicate. This approach has been criticized for creating an isolatory social structure for deaf people. Integrating sign language, on the other hand, has been found to help deaf children in cognitive development and prevent linguistic deprivation.
Employment
DHH individuals face challenges in securing employment. Protests erupted in 2020 due to recruitment favoritism toward those with less than 40% hearing impairment. Despite government initiatives to employ DHH individuals, they often struggle to find meaningful work.
Everyday Life
Public transport announcements, TV shows, directions within public structures, and even calling helplines are made insurmountable tasks due to a lack of accessibility. Minuscule everyday things taken for granted by others become wars won after years of litigation and advocacy.
Healthcare
DHH individuals face significant challenges accessing healthcare due to a lack of interpreters in most hospitals in India. The Mental Healthcare Act of 2017 promises mental health care for all, but it is not effectively implemented, with only 250 certified sign language interpreters and no clear data on ISL-trained mental health professionals.
Solutions
The present situation demands diverging from ableism toward accessibility. ISL should be recognized as a language officially and naturalized in schools and colleges for hearing and DHH students alike. It should be taught by DHH individuals, further buffeting their employment opportunities.
Health-care systems must be updated so that the deaf population has easy and accessible communication at all levels. DHH patients benefit from receiving care from language-concordant physicians.
Inclusivity will not only make the healthcare workforce more diverse and inclusive but will also mainstream ISL interpreters. Deaf programming should be par for the course across media channels. Government event announcements should have live ISL interpreters, a common feature in several countries.
Finally, more issues exist than are highlighted in this article. The authorities concerned should pay heed to the DHH community and its needs.
