Raageshwari-Shreyas attend Deaf Expo 2006

Films and documentaries on great geniuses like German Ludwig Van Beethoven, who created music despite being hearing-impaired, may be highly inspirational. But in India, deaf people still struggle without basic aids and equipments that can make them independent. This is exactly what Deaf Expo 2006 is out to achieve.

“There’s not one college in India that has the basic technology to teach deaf people how to read news reports or make a phone call on their own. In America the progress has been to the extent that they have bulbs that flash when a baby cries,” said pop singer Raageshwari who is the brand ambassador for Deaf Expo 2006.

“I got involved in the project when a year ago I met a hearing-impaired girl who was overwhelmed when I learnt the sign language from her. She wished that her neighbours and friends would do the same. This led me to take up the cause and I am now very fluent in the sign language. I sometimes rest my voice and stop talking and use the sign language instead,” said Raageshwari.

Also present at the conference was actor Shreyas Talpade who got associated with the organisation after his film ‘Iqbal’ where he played a deaf and mute cricketer. “I am fortunate to contribute to such a cause. I’m also involved in other causes like paralysis support groups. I was also a part of a documentary on HIV and AIDS for BBC. This is all thanks to ‘Iqbal’,” he said.

The press conference announced an international conference on innovative technologies and education for the deaf between July 14- 16 at Coimbatore.
k_shridevi@dnaindia.net