Fostering two-way communication between Deaf and hearing community is the social stance that needs instant attention.
Due to several reasons, Deaf-mute people lack social interaction. I believe the root cause is the communication barrier between Deaf-mute and normal people and it is high time to pay attention to it. The basic incentive behind writing my book “The Language of Paradise” is also wholly and solely to break this barrier. From this platform, I would like to highlight some note-worthy communication barriers.
First thing first, smart cards authorized to disable community do not mention the type of disability which as a result causes a lot of confusion. For instance, Deaf people normally look like normal people so in case of a road accident, if a deaf person gets faint, it would become easier for the helping ones to assist him by being able to know the type of disability, mentioned over the victim’s CNIC. The same goes with other kinds of disabilities too.
Secondly, the emergency number ‘15’ does not provide interpretation of sign language which again hinders the two-way communication, putting the Deaf community at huge risk.
In addition to this, there should be sign language interpretation at the News Channels particularly during hourly news and when the Prime Minister or President’s Speech has been on-aired on National TV. It will make the Deaf community feel connected to the normal world.
On the other hand, I would like to let you know usually the Deaf community is not much acquainted with the Urdu language because it is a bit difficult for them to understand. Thereby, sign language will help immensely in this regard.
As per research, in Pakistan, we have more than 10 Million Deaf individuals and according to the United Nations Organization’s charter, they are equal citizens of Pakistan. However, unfortunately, results of toppers from the Deaf community are not announced. Also, they are not given awards which demotivates them to excel and work harder.
Furthermore, Science subjects are not offered to the Deaf community. They are allowed to pursue education in Humanities and Arts. This seizes the opportunity for the Deaf individuals who want to pursue their careers in Computers or Science.
Thereby, I believe there should be equal opportunity for choosing the subjects so that those who want to make a career in Computer technology would be able to study Mathematics and other relevant subjects. Else, it puts a question mark on the inclusivity practiced in the education sector.
Lastly, I would like to highlight that there are seats currently reserved for minority groups in Senate, but not a single one for persons with (PWDs) in the Senate which again questions the equality of rights.
I hope and believe resolving these issues would foster two-way communication between Deaf and hearing communities.
The author Kashaf Alvi is Pakistan’s first differently-abled Certified Microsoft Associate, Deaf Author, columnist,
and short film Script-writer. You can reach out to him at [email protected]