In the wake of shortage of deaf and mute specialists, the community moved the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to expedite the establishment of the sign language institute. Even seven years after it was first announced, the institute has failed to make any headway.
On Tuesday, the disabled community protested outside Shastri Bhawan following the government’s plans to bring Indian Sign language Research & Training Centre (ISlRTC) under the National Institute of Hearing Handicapped (NIHH).
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) demanded for an autonomous ISlRTC for the benefit of over 800,000 hearing-impaired populations. “There is an urgent need for ISlRTC as there is an acute shortage specialist institutes and therefore qualified professionals,” said A.S. Narayanan, Secretary, NAD.
The UPA Government had first announced the establishment of ISlRTC in 2010-11. It started as the small centre in IGNOU but had to be shut down after two years after as they failed to find teachers.
“Government later allocated Rs 20 crore for the development of ISlRTC but there was no progress. Recently, MSJE proposed to partner NIHH with ISlRTC which is not acceptable to the deaf community,” said Narayanan.
“We demand an autonomous, stand-alone organization managed by the deaf people, for the deaf people,” said Javed Abidi, Convenor, Disabled Rights Group.
“The previous partnership between ISlRTC and IGNOU failed. The Ministry is repeating history and it is not right,” he said. leaders from over 50 deaf organisations gathered in New Delhi to demand autonomy for ISlRTC.