No. 2, March 1996
The response both at home and abroad has been a great encouragement to us and we are truly gratified at the enthusiastic way in which THE DEAF WAY has been received

The initial reactions from institutions, parents of deaf children and deaf associations have been overwhelming. We are very thankful to our readership, and hope to continue giving you the pleasure of receiving our unique publication. To all of you who have responded to our question of the month we extend our appreciation of your participation.

The issue deaf education seems to be one, which most people who are closely or personally involved are quite concerned about. Though there is a lot of speculation as to the best way to educate deaf children in India, very little seems to be changing in the way of actual methodology. Our personal experience has been teachers and parents are not really satisfied with the performance of the children. A few pioneers in the field of deaf education are emerging slowly and it is heartening to see progress being made.

One such instance is the induction of a deaf subject teacher by a school in the capital. The school has recruited "Old Boy" Siddharth Gautam who was very widely in demand as a tuition master for deaf children. Teaching at his Alma Mater and rubbing shoulders with his own teachers has been a little unnerving for him but the message is loud and clear. In a hitherto untouched area, a step forward has been taken. The use of a deaf adult is unique, especially so given Mr. Gautam's commitment to bilingual education, and therefore sign language. It is a very bold step to take, and for a school of the calibre of "BALWANT RAI METHA VIDYA BAVAN" TO experiment in this manner is most commendable. It is a landmark in history of deaf education in India. From THE DEAF WAY we wish the school and Mr. Gautam every success.

No. 5, June, 1996
This year is the International year for the eradication of poverty as declared by the United Nations in 1993 at THE SUMMIT FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. Eradication of poverty is the issue, which according to one of our most visionary leaders of yesteryear Mahatma Gandhi should be given the greatest priority of all our efforts to a better and truly idyllic society. This comes about only through the efforts of society to educate itself and lift itself out of the morass in which it has lain for so long. This is also a long and very laborious job and it behooves all of us who are able to go ahead with doing what we can to provide education to those who are not educated and suitable gainful employment to those who are not employed. As far as the deaf in India are concerned there is ground breaking work underway in both spheres and progress is being made, albeit slowly. A sea change does not come about overnight but with little dro0ps the mighty ocean is filled. Dr Dilip Deshmukh of the Rotary deaf school Ichalkaranji has started conducting seminars on Bilingual Education all over the country and is currently preparing to hold a mammoth Seminar on the topic in Bangalore on June the 4th. Mr. Dominique Majiwa, Director of the Regional Secretariat of the WFD in East and South Africa said "If we block the avenues for social mobility for the deaf by denying them the quality of education they require in their own native language i.e. Sign Language then we condemn them to a life of destitution without hope for the futures and nothing to live for." On the other hand NGO's such as DEAF REACH in Hyderabad, Bhopal Deaf Association in M.P and The Family in Delhi are taking up the employment issue. In a recent development in Bhopal the organisations functionaries met with Govt. officials to take up the employment problem and discuss the implications of reservations for the deaf and implementation of Govt. Statutes in this regard. The Family concentrating of other avenues is providing Training and Entrepreneurship possibilities. Deaf Reach in Hyderabad has had a training programme for some time and has been successful in placing the deaf into private concerns as also THE FAMILY in Delhi. A critic may say what is one green shoot in comparison to the forest that is needed? Well it is a beginning and THE DEAF WAY wished to salute these who are giving their all to the cause.

No. 6, July, 1996
With education for the deaf or the lack thereof being something everyone is concerned about there seems to be nevertheless, a ray of hope on the horizon. Though the deaf teacher in Delhi we had written about in an earlier issue has long been relieved of his teaching job and has gone on to a very good job in the public sector. It seems however that there are others who are worthy of comment. Notably, Dr. Dilip Deshmukh, a non-signing active promoter of Sign Language. (See profile THE DEAF WAY Feb. 96). As it happens he has been studying education methodology for the deaf and in a pilot project of his own, in his own school in Ichalkaranji has successfully implemented the current bilingual theory for the education of the deaf. It is also commendable that he spends his time traveling as a Rotary Volunteer and conducts seminars for teachers of the deaf on this very important topic. In view of the fact the Disability Act has been passed by Parliament and work is already underway in the Planning Commission to implement the provisions of the Act to benefit the persons concerned. One hopes that this type of ground breaking endeavor is being notices by the persons to whom it is relevant and that information is getting to where it need to go, namely current and future teachers of the deaf. In a very well written article by Dr. Sudershan Vaid, another luminary in the field, we are given to understand the literal figures of births of deaf children, broken down, for effect, to the day. Upon reading this in a leading daily, one is forced to reiterate the need for a sense of urgency to the hallmark of all reforms and programs introduced. Notably the need for teachers to be trained in what is now considered the norm in deaf circles around the world: Sign Language. Communication is the basic building block of the human race and indeed what sets us apart from other species is the ability of communication in media other than the spoken word. Children at school however are deprived of their mother tongue or natural language in the classroom, a setting when they need it the most for easy, quick and clear exchange of views and ideas, questions and clarifications. In his latest book Dr. Deshmukh very ably deals with these problems and clarifies for all the possibilities that await us. A sea change in attitude is due and the early ripples are but a forerunner of the tsunami to come.

No. 7, August 1997
Attending the Asia Pacific decade of disabled Mid Point Seminar was the high point of the past few weeks if only to help me realise the enormity of the job that lies before us and to what extent the Govt. is in fact absolutely incapable of handling the problem of the disabled and more specifically the deaf. It was also a novel experience to be able to meet and interact on a personal level with the head of Rehabilitation International Dr. Arthur O'Reilly.
The speeches were all very impassioned with a call to do something about the serious and growing problem of the disabled and their care, education, rehabilitation, employment and all the rest. The only question left in everyone's mind was is anyone listening? The rank apathy faced by all the ones involved in the rehabilitation work is legend. The latest in a series of pithy one-liners being heard by a senior and, I might add, sympathetic Govt. official, being "We cannot employ the disabled here! This is a railways office, not an asylum for handicapped persons; take them to a hospital." When the concerned person was reminded of the Govt. reservation for the disabled the railways official said, "They may say so many things but we will keep those vacancies empty."
Attitudes like these will set back the work tremendously. There are many sincere people who wish to help but what is needed is a sea change in attitude. We as people involved with disabled persons and being sensitive to their needs can help in many ways to influence the thinking of those around us in casual conversation. We all have a certain amount of influence on the environment we live in. Let us al try to make a difference for the better and make someone's life worth living.

No. 5, June 1998
All eyes in June are on the world cup football matches this month and we felt it was an opportune moment to add sports people to our list of deaf achievers and it so happens that it is in fact a foot baller. The field of deaf sports is a very needy area in the sense that the youth participating for the most part need more exposure to hearing youth and their sports activity if they are to earn laurels here and in the international arena.
That is of course on a serious level. As it happens the events are great fun and a tremendous way for young deaf people to meet and exchange views and signs and for the most part the sports people are the ones who are doing better in school and are the natural leaders in the classroom and the role models everyone strives to be like. They are also very much more effective communicators by virtue of a greater exposure to a variety of people and sign languages and cultures in a short time span. For this reason if for nothing else sports and inter-zone, interstate and national level matches should be held and in fact are held regularly.
Studies the world over have shown that the more effective communicator the deaf person is the more capable he is to handle his or her surroundings and immediate life experiences.
Our advice to parents and principals alike would be to encourage sport and give the children opportunity to travel if need be and go to others places and even compete in local inter school competition with hearing children. There is a wealth of experiences waiting for them, which will be as good an education as any they could have. They would probably enjoy it more for starters, and therefore by definition it would be more effective.

No. 7, August 1998
A unique idea came to me from a friend of mine who is working on a special project involving the deaf. C. Y. Gopinath, or Gopi, as we all know him is working on a project to produce a non-verbal curriculum to inform deaf people about AIDS.
In the course of the conversation he mentioned he was going to meet a senior official of the Education Department in the Government of India and ask why the deaf Education was not part of his portfolio but rather that of the Social Welfare Department. Quite frankly it had never occurred to me at all.
The fact that the deaf are educated poorly and in a way most inadequate to the demands of modern society is accepted by all. We have perhaps never paused to thing that if the education of the deaf was handled by an education department the education would be handled in a more professional manner and the oversight would be more strict since the Department of Education would be more accountable for its actions that the Department of Welfare. Not for any other reason than the actions of the Welfare ministry are measured in different terms than report cards of deaf children in the eyes of the public.
The current rate of functional illiteracy among deaf matriculates is probably in the region of 85-90%; casual attitude towards this situation mirrors the apathy of the system towards the education of the deaf. If a department had such a dismal record of success in any other field it would be up for serious review and castigation by the public and the higher ups in office. This is, however, far from the case with deaf education. It is as though we don't expect the situation to be any better and the deaf don't deserve any better.
It is quite sobering to realise that the level of education provided to the deaf is so low as to be unable to be adequate for them to receive a suitable job. The technical education for the deaf provided by the Govt. of India is not recognized by the Dept. of Labor of the Govt. of India. It would be funny if it were not so serious. What then are the prospects for the deaf who want to study who have a hunger to learn? What is the use of doing courses, which are not recognized by the Government of India, which is ultimately also to provide jobs? By condoning by acts of commission and omission the level of education given to the deaf and then enforcing stringently the requirements to be fulfilled by them and the institutions which serve them, we are, in India relegating them to be permanently shut out of any form of progress what so ever.

No. 12, Jan 1999
The Deaf way has completed its 3rd year of circulation and it is indeed a privilege to be able to write this editorial and see how God has answered our prayers. Even as I write I remember the last National Deaf Youth Conference and see how much progress has been made in India by the young people over the past 9 years of my personal associating with them. The level of participation at the last NDYC was very high and the delegates numbered a staggering 145. It was truly encouraging to see how the youth are finally realizing the power they can wield for a change for the better. How true the old adage "Change the world day by day, you can do it if you pray. Change the world heart by heart, you can do it if you start." Add to this the power bestowed on us by the PWD Act and it is easy to see that the goals we are all striving for are much nearer now that we have legislation on our side. The future of the deaf in India, or in any other country for that matter is governed by their level of education, which is synonymous with their empowerment. In India we have failed for the most part to come up with a good system and are facing the spectre of unemployable deaf persons who are not fit for intellectual work at all. The best they are able to do is a minor clerical job in the Govt. Though many are working in banks and so on the number of functionally illiterate deaf persons is very high. A point to be noted is that we are speaking of the ones who are actually going to school and have access and opportunity to educate themselves both in private schools and Govt. run institutions. The idea of having teachers of the deaf who were deaf themselves is one that has been around for a long time. About 200 years when Abbe De L'Epee started his school for the deaf in France in the time of Napoleon. After the 1888 Milan deaf Congress and the banning of Sign Language in schools, the education of the deaf has taken a downward turn. Thankfully due to the efforts of our Govt. an action group has been set up to look into the prospects of researching Sign Language and re-introducing Sign Language into the teacher's training curriculum. We hope that this effort is fruitful and we are able to make some headway.

No. 1, Feb. 1999
India is coming of age now, the new age of AIDS, thanks to the advent of a new "with-it" "happening generation" who don't care, it seems, what is happening so long as they can stay with it.
Reading the articles on Page 12 which portrays current trends in America where one assumes the information level and awareness is somewhat higher than here, given a dismal outlook for India. In a country where hearing people are not given normal information about the birds and the bees and have to rely heavily on the whims, fancies and wrong information wormed out of the peer group. Many deaf persons are not aware of the basics of AIDS/HIV and High-Risk behavior and what it entails. The idea that deaf people are actually walking around engaging in potentially high-risk activities and not knowing about it is tragic to say the least. "Education is empowerment." This has been our mantra for a long time and one more aspect of our growth has been stunted due to the lack of education. In this case life saving information is unavailable to us through normal means. At a workshop conducted by The Deaf Way in conjunction with Sign Post the level of information among the deaf persons who participated was found to be very low and the level of wrong information and misconceptions was very high. In many cases basic biology lessons were obviously not understood. Once again we see that the deaf require Sign Language to becomes the premier medium of communications so that it can bring hope and caring into their lives and ward off the bad things that could happen. In this case life saving information is not accessible and hence the deaf are considered a high risk group What makes th3em a high risk group is the question no one really wants to ask but everyone wants to know. It is not that they are a high-risk group by themselves but they can, due to a lack of information, put themselves in high-risk situations. This is certainly a terrifying prospect and we at the Deaf Way are quite concerned as to how we can be of some use to publish material or conduct some training sessions for the deaf to help cope with this situation. We are also open to your suggestions. Please do share them with us. We would love to hear them.

No. 5, 1999
"It takes a village" The amazing thing about the statement by Hilary Clinton is the simplicity of the concept. The much-touted high fundas of modern development gurus and rehabilitation wazirs are all encapsulated into one simple statement. The concept was evidently so "new" that it needed a whole book of high fundas to understand. The age of rehabilitation as a buzz word has past now we are all into what kind of rehab are you doing. Remember when it was just called being helpful? The more common buzz work which I have yet to have someone explain to me in a thousand words or less, is community based rehabilitation, or CBR as the doyens of "Social Work" prefer to say. Trying to explain this to grandma was very difficult. She just did not get the point. "What is all the fuss about? We knew that years ago!" she said. God bless her. The sage rightly said, "What goes up must come down." As it happens, it seems that the giddy heights of accomplishment, invention and activity are helping some people to get some pretty down to earth revelations and hopefully, something good is going to come of it. The point at issue is community. The concept has now degenerated considerably from the "village". It is now block of condos, row of anonymous houses, and so on. The essence of the village was always considerable involvement and commitment of each member to the well being of fellow members. This was evidenced in many ways in the village community. Fragmented, alienated, displaced and disjointed, the communities today are a far cry from the village, which was the basis of all civilization for thousands of years. The deaf too are a community, no doubt separated by distance and time and economic background but nevertheless a community of their own. All of us, who are in fact members of the deaf community, are responsible then for the newer, weaker members of our community and should develop programs and ways and means to help each other out. This kind of thinking what is going to bring about the change that we need in this country.

No. 3, April 1999, No. 7, 1999
Of all the issues that need addressing in the disabled sector today the most pressing is that of gainful employment for the disabled. The deaf are at the bottom of this totem pole due to their dismal academic performance for the most part. Other hearing persona have the basic building block available to them as a vehicle of information, education and enjoyment i.e. a majority language. The deaf have to try to fight their way along in the crowd and more often than not they are swept away in the tide of indifference. Why are the deaf marginalised? Due thought will no doubt come up with a few simple answers. Primarily the lack of access to language of the majority Nevertheless many dead have very low language skills per se. Even in their own native language i.e. sign language they have a very limited scope of understanding concepts and ideas. Perhaps as we have been seeing in The Deaf Way, more deaf children would benefit from having deaf teachers and caregivers at earlier ages. The efficacy of having deaf teachers for the deaf ahs been accepted since the time of Laurent Clerc in the 19th century. At that time 60-70 percent of persons involved in deaf education were themselves deaf. It has been noted that during the time when the deaf were teachers the incidence of literacy among the deaf was considerably higher than it is now. Is that a good enough case for having a deaf teacher's training course? A simple course with the basic elements of teaching to teach the junior grades to begin with would be a great boost and also enhance the job opportunities for the deaf. They would be doing what they do best and that is impart a language to the generations of deaf children who might otherwise grow up without one, in the midst of civilization. God forbid!

No. 8, 1999
As we approach the turn of the century and the last International Week of the Deaf rolls past us, it is time to reflect on the last 100 years. What has changed and in which direction? Has it gotten better for the millions of deaf people in the world? Has it gotten worse? Does anyone care either way?
The answer to this, in general terms, surely would be that the deaf have seen some major ups and downs over the past 100 years and currently the trend is certainly on the upswing. Of course for a large majority of deaf people nothing has changed significantly. There is no great white hope on the horizon and no knight in shining armor to solve their problems by whisking them off on a shining white charger to a land over the rainbow; the happy signing grounds where everyone understands sign language.
A very negative thing that has happened this century is that society has been conditioned to think of them as defective.
The deaf have had to fight their way back to equality in that scenario. The education system having changed from deaf centered to deficit model hearing centered all over the world at the end of the previous century contributed largely to this phenomenon.
Starting life in a deaf school where everyone who knew anything was a hearing person and the only deaf role models available are people who are doing menial or manual labour on the campus was not a very good way to start liking hearing people. Thus the bicultural influence of having deaf and hearing teachers which was common in deaf education the world over in the precious century has been missing.
The resulting lack of mutual trust and understanding is not something which should surprise anyone. The deaf after an entire century passed took the matter into their own hands with the Deaf President. Now revolt spear heading the deaf awareness/deaf pride movement. This has finally done a great deal in regaining self-esteem self respect and global attention.
At what price, must the deaf and hearing be forever locked into traditional roles of 'Oppressor' and 'Emancipated but unequal'? God help us to dump the condescension and get it together.

No. 2, 2000
The need for deep and meaningful communication is essential to all persons whether they are deaf or haring or blind or whatever. The need to communicate on a more serious or emotive plane is there within all of us.
We seem to neglect this when we refer to our deaf family members and particularly offspring. I have worked with many hundreds of deaf persons and met a large number of the parents of the deaf and it's amazing to see how many parents haven't the foggiest idea what their little Raju is saying. They look to me for sympathy while they trot out their pat excuses and alibis and audist doctor's quotes about why it is not good for the deaf to use signs and then marvel that I use signs with a great degree of efficiency. These very same people enforce family ritual meetings on their kids where no one including themselves is able to communicate with the deaf person. In a country like India where the family is still greatly valued and treasured and family gatherings are the staple of most people's social life it is almost cruel to not be able to see the point of view expressed by the deaf. Surely they would much prefer to go out with their friends instead of going to one of these gatherings, where they are asked repeatedly if they have eaten enough and when the questioner is convinced that they have, a sickly sweet smile and a clean pair of heels is displayed. The fact is that the deaf do want to mix with everyone. The hearing also do wish to get their act together and try to communicate with their child but inertia holds everyone captive.
When you make something inaccessible and then enforce that it be part of someone's daily routine you create frustration to a great degree. "You have to go to such and such a get together" comes the order and nothing can change the decree. The deaf person is marginalised by a large number of people all at once. It was in my fortune to happen upon a situation where I was with another hearing person at a picnic with 150 deaf people. The lady said, "I am so bored here. Everyone just comes up and says 'Hi' Namaste and pushes off. I can't sit here all day. I would go mad not being able to speak with anyone." Now where have we heard that before? The sauce for the goose is the same for the gander I am told. It seems however in practice there is a very high handed way of dealing with the deaf…

No. 3, 2000, No. 4, 2000
In everyone's life there comes a time of reckoning and when it does one has to make a number of changes and adjustments that we never thought we would need to. Or maybe never thought that someone would expect it of us. A very healthy phenomenon though it is, it is not looked upon by many as being so. Take sign language for instance. That much maligned, mostly misunderstood, unused by all hearing who should, method of communication? Should we add loved by the deaf, chosen by them as their native tongue (hand), breaker of communication barriers and bringer of good news to deaf people that someone understands them. Indeed one wonders how much we, in fact, understand them. The poet on page 3 asserts that you have to be deaf to understand. Having been the one who was on the other side of the fence, meting out the situations that caused the heartbreak and disillusionment for the most part, I am cut to the quick by the child who so determinedly says "You have to be deaf to understand." The Sage said, "walk a mile in his shoes". How many of us have attempted that? How many have realized that you are actually editing the environment of the deaf child when we paternalise him or her by saying that awful phrase "Never mind" or "It is not important for you to know everything". The often spoken and I am sure deeply resentful reaction from the child is to say "Well everyone else knows, why not me?" This is where our attitude toward the deaf is truly tested. The need for total knowledge of our own surroundings is very important to us and we do not tolerate the children whispering in the background, for example. We want to know what is going on whereas; when the deaf child attempts the same thing he is often berated or belittled for it. The Govt. has recently approved the developments of Sign Language for India in 5 zones. The signs thus collected will be put together in the various Zones and then utilized in all settings with the deaf. This is good news for the Indian deaf but it also means a sea change in attitude is called for on the part of the hearing who are working with the deaf. Will we be able to finally begin to use the language our children know and love? Only time will tell, and a test of our love for our children is coming up.

No. 5, 2000
A visitor from America recently worked with The Deaf Way for a period of 2 months and it is remarkable how much insight we gained on our attitude toward deafness.
After reading Dr. Harlan Lane's "The Mask of Benevolence", a treatise of repute and a 'must read' by all that wish to work with the deaf, the concept of paternalism really sinks through. However how long does it take for one to break old habits and ways of operating? Longer than any of us think obviously. Paternalism is defined as: a philosophical mind set that hearing people must help civilize the disabled deaf man to fit into the hearing world, as well as protect them from the evil hearing man that takes advantage of their vulnerability.
Whereas this seems to all of us to be a laudable goal and one to be striven for, in actuality, it is hindering the progress of the deaf to independence. Definitely the systems in our country are not conducive to independence in many ways, but who is ultimately responsible for the lack of them? Is it the "guru" mentality and the "do-gooder" attitude that motivates us to "help" the deaf? I only yesterday met a doctor who wished to provide free services to an organisation of deaf persons. When I thanked him for his interest and assistance he refused to accept thanks. "Don't thank me. I am doing this for myself out of purely selfish motives!" he said. How many of us recognize this in ourselves? Are we working to satisfy our own need and desire for the "praise of men" or a salve for our conscience?
The answer is in our own lives and hearts and it behooves all of us to d a little soul searching. Our attitude toward the deaf will educate them in the right way. If our attitude is over protective and one of continually advising them ion everything they will not just be deaf but handicapped as well. Without the skills to rule their own lives we create dependency and then bemoan their lack of independence. Parents rue their fate and make changes in their life style and investments and retirement plans; make choices which will in future make the deaf so dependent that they think this is the only way in which to live. The attitude percolates through the deaf community and now the deaf are so indoctrinated by the ones around them that, they fee, if you are not "helping" them by telling them what to do, you don't have their best interests at heart. Since this panders to our "guru" complex we walk into this type of relationship readily and thus the cycle goes on.

No. 2, 2001
I am happy to say that finally there is a great deal clicking in the field of deafness in India. Whether it will last or is just a passing phase will depend on the individual will of the ones involved and the organisations involved. I am however the eternal optimist and can say that I for one feel the changes and developments are here to stay. As a matter of pride we are thrilled to write that our previous opinion of Dr. C. M. Nagaraju has, (if it were possible) risen after our recent meeting in Delhi. The NIHH has actually begun a "Sign Language" course in their center in Mumbai and they have 34 students. Dr. Ulrike Zeshan and Dr. Madan Vasishta have helped set up the course and they are totally involved in the conducting of the course. More on that in our next issue. The point is that Dr. Nagaraju has certainly delivered on what he had promised after the National Seminar on Bilingualism in Hyderabad.
The RCI has also conducted one Orientation course for Interpreters in Chennai under the guidance of Sr. Rita Mary and is now ready to do more such programs in other centers in India. The 2-week course will give people who are already working with the various organisations for the deaf all overt the country a basic knowledge of interpreting and prepare them to enter the courses conducted by the NIHH.
The other amazing news is that the long awaited ISL dictionary of India Sign Language is in the last Draft stage and Dr. Mani of the Sri Rama Krishna Mission Vidyalaya in Coimbatore has announced that it is going to be released in August this year. In addition to this they have taken up the same programs as the NIHH and are providing them at the Sri Rama Krishna Mission Vidyalaya Coimbatore.
So given the current wave of good news I am bound to say that it seems that good times are ahead for the deaf in India. The policy decisions that were long overdue have been made in principle and there is a surge of activity on the sign language front. The director of the NIHH has said that he is in the process of creating courses for teachers of the deaf to teach subjects through sign language and that is going to be a great day for us all.

No. 3, 2001
A terrible mistake has been made by the Session's Court in Kullu. An innocent man has been victimized. His human rights were denied in the trial. He has been unjustly sentenced to 10 years for a crime he did not commit. IAN STILLMAN is a victim of a miscarriage of justice. He is deaf and the court pronounced him an imposter, reiterated by the police. Perhaps they would be interested to know that the National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped (NIHH) in Bombay has him on their panel of experts and he is a member of the general council of NIHH. This is absolutely atrocious conduct on the part of those responsible for protecting the law and upholding the law… to give a deaf man no access to his own trial is the equivalent of the treatment meted out in the Inquisition, or perhaps worse because though they were biased against the accused, at least the accused understood them. How shameful then for the Indian High Commission to write blatant falsehoods to Ian Stillman's supporters in the UK at the Parliament level saying "he had full opportunity to defend himself and Kanda jail has wheelchair access and also Sign Language Interpreting facilities". Are they so shameless that they are lying in their teeth? Have we no national self-respect? I never thought I would read such a shameless letter, unrepentant, arrogant letter from a foreign officer. That letter is a blot on the national conscience for greater than and other. The fact is that the jail authorities refused to allow Ian a cane to help him hobble around because it "is against the rules to give potential weapons to inmates". This is a disgrace, doubly so because 11 million deaf persons in India have, now, no recourse. We cannot say that we have no facilities because our Government is lying to other nation's leaders on this issue. How much easier then shall they be able to squelch us? How much simpler for them to fob off any responsibility toward the disabled people of the country, which are numbered at 10%. Are we not Indian? A country that once produced statesmen of the caliber of Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, Sardar Patel and Lokmanya Tilak is now unable to protect those in the greatest need of protection. Where is our conscience? Does India have one anymore or are the lids of this going to be our future? The disabled who evoke pity, sympathy, empathy in most has not had any effect on this country's leaders at all. No pangs of conscience on the part of anyone in power. If this is all that India can do for the people like Ian, to whom it owes so much, things are truly at a shameful pass and we can but hang our heads in shame.

No. 1, 2002
This year has certainly been a landmark year for the deaf. Many of the long desired and long awaited projects have seen fruition and this is indeed a cause for joy.
The first of these is that the Indian Sign Language dictionary has reached a draft stage and is set for release in the near future. This is a great leap ahead for the deaf who have campaigned long and hard for this to be done. The dictionary is to form the base of the Indian Sign Language vocabulary and be taught to trainee teachers to help them communicate with their study.
In a related development the Rehabilitation Council of India have organised the first ever Work shop for Interpreters for the deaf. The course for two weeks was conducted in Madras and now is advertised by the RCI to be conducted in many more places. This heralds the beginning of the age of accountability for the deaf who will be able to make their own decisions and start using interpreters for their interactions in important situations which they have been unable to do in times past.
The RCI also sponsored the first ever Bilingualism in deaf Education seminar in Hyderabad, which was organised by Deaf Reach, and for the first time the use of sign language in deaf education was discussed.
The main speakers, Dr. Madan Vasishta and Dr. Ulrike Zeshan both experts in education and linguistics spoke on the subject of teaching deaf children school subjects in sign language. Many of the educators and policy makers of the country attended this seminar. Subsequently the National Institute for the hearing Handicapped and the international Human Resource Development Center in Coimbatore have both started Sign Language courses in their institutions.
These above are tremendous steps forward, which, we did not even realise could be possible last year at this time. The very fact that the Govt. has shown so much interest on these key issues is an indication of the positive reaction toward the needs of the deaf in the disability sector. I on my part feel that the time has come for deaf people everywhere to unite and stand as one body to claim their rights an stand up for them.
I promise that The Deaf Way will do its part in the movement for the empowerment of the deaf in India.