The All India Deaf and Dumb Society was established in year 1956 by Smt. Subhadra Joshi, a well known freedom fighter and ex MP, for the welfare of hearing impaired persons. The aim of the Society is to provide medical facilities, quality education, speech therapy, skills to generate employment and self reliance and also to create awareness amongst the public about the problems being faced by the silent children of God as well as their abilities.

Mission

• AIDDS has been striving hard to achieve the goal of total rehabilitation for the hearing impaired children who on a large extent are ignored ,rejected by the community and some times even by their families.

Approach

We work individually with each family to understand their specific needs:

• Educate: We strive to improve the lives of our students through education of Academic, Behavioral, Cognitive, and Social Skills. 

• Engage: It is important to have teachers & therapists engaging students to learn and parents involved in both student programs and school activities 

• Inspire: We inspire students to engage in extra curricular activities and soft skills other than regular academics. 

Academic

Premalabai Chavan School for the Deaf, Karkardooma is a full-fledged Secondary School with classes from Nursery to Class VIII. The medium of instruction is Hindi and English. The teaching methodology in the school involves an activity based, hands-on approach in order to provide a firm foundation for future learning. The conventional chalk and talk technique is passé and has been replaced by a child-centric approach with experiential learning and computer-aided packages being an integral part of the curriculum. An interactive approach is adopted where the teacher is a facilitator and a mediator who leads the students to grow up into smart self-learners where questions are posed but instead of providing them with ready-made answers, the teacher enables them to discover answers for themselves.

At Premalabai Chavan School for the Deaf, we strive to provide an experience which will challenge our students academically, athletically and artistically with a variety of offers, students have the opportunity to explore their interests, develop the skill for success in school and engage in a process of self-discovery and transformation.

As the heart of school life is academic study, pupils here are taught by highly- skilled and qualified teachers who bring rigour and enrichment to lesson both in and out of the classroom.

Activities

• Yoga: Regular yoga training under trained yoga instructors.

• Drawing: Regularly drawing classes are been undertaken. Students have achieved prizes on zonal and district level.

• Badminton: students play badminton and take part in zonal and district level games and have won prizes.

• Chess: students play chess and also have participated in zonal and district level games.

• Special Assembly: special assembly is also organized for students time to time for awareness health fitness and mock drills regarding earthquake and fire safety.

All India Federation of the Deaf (AIFD) is an apex body of different affiliated organizations of the deaf spread all over India and serves the deaf community in elevating their living quality. Globally, it works with World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) Helsinki, Finland, which is affiliated to UNESCO, UNICEF and ILO of United Nations Organization (UNO). The federation was set up on 22nd December 1955 with an aim to unite the Deaf all over India. The organization has been presented number of awards at National and State level.

For socio-economic mainstreaming of the deaf, AIFD has promoted Multipurpose Training Centre for the Deaf (MPTCD) at Delhi, which fenders vocational training with residential facility for the Deaf boys and girls. Project of AIFD are duly recognized by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India, which provides grants for this purpose.

Multipurpose Training Centre for the Deaf (MPTCD)

MPTDC is a Vocational Training Centre for the Deaf boys and girls. The Centre has two separate buildings on its 1.5 acres campus. Deaf students aged between 14-30 years are offered training in different trades. Presently, it runs 4 main trades:

• Computer-Graphics: Computer students learn the basics of computer, Data-entry and later profession related graphic-printing using modern software. Students are also allowed practicing extra time after class hours under guidance of our instructor.

  • Printing Graphic (Refresher)

  • Printing Graphic (Advanced)

• Photography: Photography students get opportunity to handle different types of cameras from vintage models to modern digital technology, including handling different photo-software. Photography students also learn to do graphic works related to photographer profession.

• Fitter & Turner: Institute runs a unique combined technical course of Turner-Fitter-Welder for two years following ITI curriculums. Institute workshop has two types of lathe, drilling and grinding machines for tool making. Welding training is provided on the fourth quarter of training after students’ concept is clear about metallurgy.

• Cutting & Sewing: In tailoring section each student uses individual set of instruments including sewing machine both manual and motorized. Institute is planning to introduce modern computerized machine for skill training.

Each trade is subdivided in two batches for fresher and advanced students with duration of one year for each batch. Candidate who has passed at least VIII standard and 14 years of age is eligible for admission. Since its inception (1977), MPTCD has produced more than 3K boys and girls and many of them have been gainfully employed.

ASLI is represent the Interpreters for the deaf in India. The deaf community of India has not had a formal interpreting organization until now. The concept of sign language interpreting as a professional service for deaf persons has yet to take hold in India. The apex organizations for the deaf are already campaigning for this to take place.

There is a lot that ASLI will be doing to support and enable the local organization of the deaf. You have already been working in interpreting albeit with or without formal training for some time now. All persons who have been serving the deaf community selflessly for years by providing interpreting services will now have ASLI to support them in their endeavors by building awareness of the need for interpreters and advocating the need for linguistic access for deaf persons.

It is our aim to have interpreters in each and every district in the country whether they are amateur or professional. Over time, as the concept of interpreting develops and the compliance with the UN Convention on Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is popularized, interpreting will become an important profession.

Mission

• Our aim is to provide the deaf community of India with quality interpreting services, empowering them to live fuller better lives, while providing our members with quality training and opportunities for growth in their profession.

Objectives

• Creating a Registry of Sign language Interpreters

• Providing Training in Interpreting.

• Creating awareness in the general public with regard to interpreters for the deaf.

• Providing continuing education to Interpreters.

• Liaising with international agencies in the field of interpreting

• Conducting workshops and seminars on interpreting.

• Networking with local organizations and NGO’s working with the deaf to promote the use of sign language interpreters.

• Networking with the relevant Govt. departments on the need for deaf persons to have access to interpreters.

• Setting up an institute for the training and support of interpreters.

• Promotion of the profession of Interpreting in India.

• Advocating for the rights of the deaf community to have interpreters.

The Association of Sign Language Interpreters is an Indian not-for-profit organization affiliated with National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and The Deaf Way Foundation. The mandate is to provide a voice for The Deaf of India through the standardization, organization and continued practice of their Indian Sign Language Interpreters — for which no other organization exists. As a start up organization, Marlowe Andreyko was there to take part in creating their identity. 

CSED enable the deaf to hear and speak, and take their place in a hearing world. It is a well-established institution that educates children with profound hearing disability. We provide model teaching and training facilities in English and Marathi at all our centres:

• Central School for the Deaf (CSD) 

• Maitri - Centre for Hearing Impaired Infants

• CIRC – Cochlear Implant Rehab Centre, and 

• BERA – Unit for testing new born babies. 

Today, along with a dedicated band of teachers, CSED has grown into a vibrant school and infant training centre, complete with educational and specialized audiometric testing facilities.

Deaf Counseling Center is a Deaf-owned and operated counseling and consulting practice staffed by Deaf licensed professional therapists. We specialize in working with Deaf people and their families. 

The object of the India Deaf Society is the well being and advancement of the Deaf in India irrespective of sex, race, religion, caste, colour or nationality an shall include the following:

1. To unite the Deaf and all interested in their cause.

2. To advance and protect the interest of the Deaf in social and legal matter as a representative body.

3. To promote Adult Education in General Knowledge & Handicrafts training by means f social classes, visual aids etc.

4. To provide social amenities for the Deaf such as Sports, Drama, Excursions, Marriage & Employment Bureaus.

5. To educate public opinion & promote public interest in things relating to the conditions, education & needs of the Deaf.

6. To collect and raise funds for the furtherance of the objects of the Society.

Indian Sign Language Interpreters Association (ISLIA) started in 2008. Working in the field of Sign Language Interpretation Services. Providing Sign language Interpreters all over India.

ISLIA is a national member of WASLI from India.

The Deaf community is extremely empowered and has started fighting for their rights. There is severe need of interpreters to help translate Deaf persons impassionate arguments while protesting. Many interpreters fail to translate this. This workshop helped to train interpreters. untry” he added. He encouraged young entrepreneurs to come forward to initiate and reach out ISL interpreting facility using web-cam, high-speed internet and other technology innovation in communication.

Mission statement of ISLIA aims to maintain quality of sign language interpreters in India and support the continued growth and development of interpreting as a profession. While doing so, ISLIA will provide international, national, state and local forums with an organizational structure for the continued growth and development of the profession of interpretation and transliteration of Indian Sign Language and English or any other languages in India. ISLIA also aims to create awareness among the hearing and deaf community in India about the successful use of ISL interpreting facilities. For more details please

Haryana Welfare Society for Persons with Hearing & Speech Impairment (HWSPSHI) was established in the year 1971 from Gurugram center with a view to providing education, vocational training, counseling, guidance, and remedial services to hearing impaired children and facilitate their all round development, self-reliance and rehabilitation. The Society has set up eight Welfare Centres to support education to hearing impaired children at various academic levels.

• Welfare Centre for Persons with Speech & Hearing  Impairment Gurgaon (1971): Secondary

• Welfare Centre for Persons with Speech & Hearing  Impairment, Hisar (1981): Senior Secondary

• Welfare Centre for Persons with Speech & Hearing  Impairment, Raipur Rani (1981): Primary

• R.K.J. Welfare Centre for Persons with Speech & Hearing  Impairment, Sirsa (1985): Middle

• Mata Parkash Kaur Welfare Centre for Persons with Speech & Hearing Impairment, Karnal (1987): Senior Secondary

• Welfare Centre for Persons with Speech & Hearing  Impairment, Sonepat (1990): Middle 

• Welfare Centre for Persons with Speech & Hearing  Impairment, Nagina (2016): Matric

KDAD is a Deaf led organization. They promote the welfare and interests of Deaf people. 

We believe Deaf people should receive the same access and opportunities as hearing people. 

We support Deaf people to achieve independence and help them with understanding rights and finances.

We provide employment and legal advice Career Guidance.

LEED Pune is dedicated to bring about a positive change to the Deaf Youth in Pune. Developing English Literacy by adapting a Bilingual mode of instruction, building confidence and skill sets and empowering the Deaf youth through various workshops by inviting Deaf Role Models, LEED Pune is taking the lead to make the Deaf youth community realize that access to information, education is not just a Dream but a REALITY.

Major activities launched

• English Literacy for the Deaf in Pune city

• Workshop for Hearing on Communicating with Deaf in collaboration with NGO in Pune. 

• Workshop for Hearing kids age group 3 to 18 on introduction to Deaf and Indian Sign Language in collaboration with Ignatius Church Youth Centre Kirkee Pune 

Major achievements

• Conducted Introduction to English for Deaf Individuals for 6 months 2009 Pune 

• English Literacy Summer sessions for 21 Days for students of Red Cross School for the Deaf, Pune

• Actively involved in English Literacy for the Deaf in Pune

• Actively involved in Empowerment for the Deaf in Maharashtra

• Active involvement in spreading Awareness among hearing and Deaf individuals on deafness, sign language, Deaf issues in Education & society. 

Founded in 1972, Mook Badhir Mandal, is working on education, empowerment, and awareness for Deaf People involving education, awareness, Indian Sign Language (ISL), and career. This NGO is run by experienced deaf leaders and conducts workshops, seminars, art exhibits, deaf sports, deaf tourism, conferences, and much more.

Mission

• What we believe determines how we live

MBM is built on following pillars:

• Boosting education in Indian Sign Language (ISL)

• Promoting sports

• Inculcating cultural and social spirit

MBM focusses on e-Learning a strong Website HUB dedicated to the Education, Empowerment and Awareness for the Deaf People in India:

• ISL Dictionary: Learn Indian Sign Language from the library of videos, fetched after typing in the words of your choice

• Baby ISL: A collection of videos intended for ease of communication between the parents and their deaf children

• Health: For prevention of diseases for the deaf people, awareness on vaccines, cancer, AIDs and pregnancy care are displayed

• News: Latest news updates relating to deaf such as new announcements, conferences, programmes, technologies for deaf, etc.

• Tutorials: Different kinds of guides for the deaf in technology, process and paper work, conveyed via ISL

• Deaf Channels: Shares the the rich deaf culture in India along with various facts and knowledges conveyed in sign language via the videos

MBM also conducts several events and workshops, and national surveys regularly.

Pastoral Orientation Centre has Counselling Centre for Hearing and Speech Impaired.

Punarbhava as suggested by the name which means 'renewed being' symbolizes an attempt to provide a gateway to information for persons with disability and all concerned with this sector. This portal is an attempt to create a distinct niche in cyber space to find information, discuss issues, network, find employment, look for appliances and assistive devices, seek redressal of grievances, undergo training, research and study, and so much more. Indeed, the sky is no longer the limit, and the route that the portal will take will be determined by the way in which interested users engage with it.

While Punarbhava deals with all forms of disabilities, legal rights etc., it does have some focus for the deaf & hard of hearing and blind & low vision

Since 2006, Sai Swayam Society has been empowering the Speech and Hearing Impaired community in all domains. With a particular focus on women, children, and youngsters and their empowerment, SSS also works actively for spreading the use of Indian Sign Language. They have been able to provide placement to over 10,500 students from locations all across India as of now. 

Objectives

• Delivering skill development facilities and training to the SHI* community is done by teaching proper sign language.

• Help students by providing educational aid to speech and hearing-impaired children.

• Providing Placement of PwDs in getting their independent jobs.

• Spreading awareness about sign language and why it is very important including skill training and job placements

• Making them believe in themselves and who they are.

*SHI: Speech and Hearing Impaired

Services

• Remedial Education

• Skill Training

• Livelihood

• Parent Sensitization

• Employer Sensitization: People with speech and hearing challenges could encounter various challenges comprising obstacles working with a team of people who may all have distinct attitudes. They may find it difficult to manage their feelings and communicate with others. They may have hardship dealing with the executive, particularly if the manager’s leadership method doesn’t suit them. To solve this problem, we provide employer sensitization. 

In our employer section, there is some Percentage of employees who are not speech and hearing Impaired and it is very difficult to provide interpreter services at every step to people who are not a part of the SHI group. Most employers have neither the awareness nor the confidence required to deal with SHI Individuals.

We conduct proper training and induction of the employee who is Physically challenged on a digital model in which we convert the sign language to pass information easily. All this is done to make a good flow of communication between non-SHI individuals and SHI individuals. Also, regular workshops for all employees are held to teach them about sign language and to make their life very easy. 

• Interpreter Services

Sense India was established in 1997 and is currently working in 23 States through a network of 59 partner NGOs. They have helped over 78,000 people with deafblindness in these years, and their work includes early screening and identification, income generation, vocational training, and much more.

Vision

• A world in which all children and adults with deafblindness and multiple disabilities can be full and active members of society.

Purpose

• To work in partnership with others - people with deafblindness and multiple disabilities, their families, caregivers and professionals - to ensure that everyone facing challenges because of deafblindness and multiple disabilities has access to advice, opportunities and support.

Values

• The worth of Individuals: We embrace diversity and respond to Individual needs.

• Self-determination: We promote the rights of individuals and provide support for this where necessary.

• Personal fulfilment: We promote opportunities for all individuals to develop and achieve their potential.

• Openness and honesty: Our interactions are transparent, open to scrutiny and built on trust and accountability.

Services

• Early intervention & Identification 

• Income generation activity and vocational training 

• Educational intervention 

• Inclusion 

Projects

• Expanding Services for Deafblind People in South India- Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana (APPI) 

• Expansion of Deafblind Services in Eastern India – Odissa, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh (KIF/KUF) 

• Developing Comprehensive Services and Infrastructure for Children and Adults with Deafblindness and Multi-Sensory Impairments (MSI) in North Eastern India (HT Parekh) 

Deafblind Advocacy

Advocacy forms an integral part of Sense India’s strategy for influencing others to make a bigger impact. It is a process through which we influence policy and practice to bring about positive changes in the lives of persons with deafblindness. In the process, persons with deafblindness and their families are empowered to take control of their lives, choices and are able to secure access to basic services and representation as full and active members of society. 

It is only due to our unrelenting advocacy that ‘deafblindness’ has been included as a unique disability under ‘multiple disability’ in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016.

A group of young corporate professionals came together in 2002 to set up Smile Foundation to work with grassroots initiatives for effecting positive changes in the lives of underprivileged children, their families and communities.

Vision

• Work as a catalyst in bringing sustainable change in the lives of underprivileged children, youth and women, with a life-cycle approach of development.

• Enable the civil society across the world to engage proactively in the change process through the philosophy of civic driven change.

• Adopt highest standards of governance to emerge as a leading knowledge and technology driven, innovative and scalable international development organisation.

Mission

• Smile Foundation, a non-profit organization in india is to empower underprivileged children, youth and women through relevant education, innovative healthcare and market-focused livelihood programmes

Smile Foundation has been directly benefitting over 15,00,000 children and their families every year. 

Empowering the hearing impaired

Smile Foundation has tied hands with Jyotirmaya Seva Samiti’s Dumb and Deaf School at Barwaha in Madhya Pradesh, and with Ashray Akruti’s Littel Angels School in Hyderabad. Through special techniques and amenities, students are taught latent talent development activities and vocational trades.

Little Angels School for Hearing Impaired

Ashray Akruti runs a school and rehabilitation centre for hearing impaired and underprivileged children between the age group of 6-18 years. It facilitates these children for garnering doctor certificates and making them aware of the disabled welfare schemes and services. Quality education is provided to the hearing impaired children. Also latent talent development activities and vocational trades are conducted to hone the skills of these children thus helping them get employment in the industrial sector.

The children also undergo training in intensive auditory, speech therapy, health and hygiene etc by qualified staff. The school has a well-equipped library, which has the latest books, journals and newspapers to cultivate the reading habit among children. The school has residential facility where children are provided food, clothes, books, stationery, toiletries and foot wear etc.

Smile Foundation helps Akshay Akruti provide hearing aids to children. 

Sounds of Silence (SOS) is India’s first technology based NGO, empowering the hearing impaired individuals to overcome the barriers to communication that they face, and providing them a new way to interact with the world.

SOS, is an organization working for the betterment of the hearing impaired individuals, by providing them with a platform to interact with the outer world. We at SOS, want to make a difference in the lives of these special kids by providing them with mobile phones so that they can text one another. With a team of 25 SOS volunteers, we are empowering and helping over 350 children in Mumbai, Punjab, Bangalore, Pune, and New Delhi.

Non-Voice Centre for Employment Empowerment

The Hearing Impaired students, through SOS, receive a 2 month training course in the following domains:

1. Search Engine Optimization

2. Email Marketing

3. Data Entry

SOS has collaborated with several small and mid-sized companies, which are outsourcing their online marketing work to the deaf through Sounds Of Silence. This has, in-turn, provided employment opportunities to more than 50 Hearing and Speech Impaired kids across Mumbai, Delhi and Pune, who were sitting idle, out of work just a few months back.

100 Santa’s Project 

#BeASanta was a movement we started with a simple intention of bringing joy and spreading happiness amongst the street kids to whom this could be his first experience at Santa! 

Select Blogs

• 7 Great Communication Lessons you can learn from Deaf People, 2019

• Qualities of an impaired person, 2019

• Challenges of Hearing Impaired Parents, 2019

• What’s the Career Scope for Hearing Impaired, 2019

• ‘I was traumatized for not being a part of them’, 2015

• THROUGH THE “HEARING” GLASS!, 2015

• How an Impaired Person can make their future, 2019

• Technology for Visually Impaired, 2019

• Main Problem that is faced by the impaired Person, 2019

• What Facilities are Provided by The NGOs for the Hearing Impaired, 2019

Suniye is a leading non profit organization in India working with and for hearing impaired children and has become a representative for the hearing impaired community in India. Suniye was founded in 1995 and is managed by parents of hearing impaired children and assisted by professionals, speech therapists, audiologists, doctors, and teachers. In 1996, they started a school particularly dedicated to deaf kids in New Delhi. At present, the school has over 170 students. They even provide free hearing aids to the kids, while the school is equipped with a soundproof Audiometry room.

Suniye aims to improve the existing facilities for hearing impaired children in the fields of education, employment and lifestyle. Suniye aims to bring all hearing children into mainstream society and enable them to live with dignity. 

Activities

• Teaching & Training: We adopt a holistic approach to teaching children to hear and speech through speech therapy, activity based learning, close integration with teaching staff at schools, and assistance with hearing aids and cochlear implants. Specific programs include:

  • Speech Therapy Classes

  • Talk, Talk, Talk

    • Going to visit friends

    • Family album

    • Story telling

    • Drawing

    • Music and dance

    • Greetings and video calls

    • Do things together

    • Watch TV together

  • Teaching Aids & Ideas

    • Study table or study area

    • ‘Ludo’ or ‘Snakes and ladders’

    • Clocks and calendars

    • Building blocks - Shapes and colours

    • Field trips and charts

    • Making shapes with paper or art

    • Story charts

    • Nursery rhymes and songs

It is important for parents to be aware of the following:

• • Early Detection & Action

  • Hearing Aids & Cochlear Implants

  • What should parents & families do?

  • Joining Suniye

• Community Support: We engage extensively with the full community around the child and counsel / train them to deliver active support – parents, siblings, extended family and neighbors, school teachers etc.

• Influence Policy Development: We participate in fora and events aimed at affirmative action for the hearing impaired and engage local government and schools to effect change in policy and push for implementation

Select Blogs

• What Is the Difference Between Hearing Impairment and Deafness?

• How To Learn Sign Language For Deaf And Dumb

The Deaf Way Foundation is committed to educate, empower and advocate for the deaf community of India by providing quality services in an inclusive and enabling environment. It is estimated that there are between 6 and 15 million deaf people living in India.

In 1986, Mr. Arun C. Rao had his first child, a daughter, who was deaf. Appalled by the lack of services available to those with special needs he campaigned fiercely, eventually founding The Deaf Way Foundation and creating a monthly publication of the same name in 1996. Now, Deaf Way touches thousands of lives across India with:

• 19 National-level Conferences

• 60 leadership training camps

• 60 HIV/AIDS awareness workshops

• 2500 deaf people as active members

• 180 cultural programs in schools

• 65 dance drama quiz painting competitions for deaf children.

Deaf Way is a hive of largely quiet activity. While Deaf Way’s role is to educate and empower deaf Indians through their educational and instructional programs, it is part of a larger network The World Around Us that addresses the plight of disabled persons in the world’s largest democracy.

VAANI was created with the aim of bringing communication to the lives of deaf children and their families with a vision to enable access to every deaf child through awareness programmes, skill-based training programmes, capacity building programmes and workshops on the social and emotional needs of deaf children in the different states through local partners. In the last 15 years, it has held 76,000 direct and indirect beneficiaries, with 12000 deaf children, 24,000 parents, 10,000 professionals, and 30000 general public.

Vision

• To advocate for the right of every deaf child to a full and complete life with respect and dignity.

Mission

• To bring language & communication into the lives of deaf children and their families and thus enabling them to have meaningful conversations between themselves and the world around them.

What VAANI does?

VAANI at present works in three States of India to provide good quality services to deaf children and their families. We advocate for every deaf child to a complete life of respect and dignity. We work to achieve this by:

• Early Identification & Intervention.

• The combined approach for imparting Language & Communication.

• Empowering & Engaging parents and professionals.

• Influencing government policy and advocating for quality in all services

Programs

• ‘Hath Se Bate Kar’

• Children With Hearing Impairment (CWHI) And Their Education

• Sadhan Resource Center

• Early Intervention-Parent Infant Programme (0-3 years)

• New Born Hearing Screening Programme

• Teach for the Deaf

• Community Worker Trainings

• Life Skills