Tata Steel Foundation takes Indian Sign Language awareness to schools, rural communities
PINAKI MAJUMDAR Jamshedpur, Sept 22: As the world observes the International Day of Sign Languages on September 23, Tata Steel Foundation is…
PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, Sept 22: As the world observes the International Day of Sign Languages on September 23, Tata Steel Foundation is expanding efforts to promote communication access and create greater opportunities for the Deaf community through its disability inclusion programme, Sabal.
The initiative seeks to ensure that communication does not become a barrier to education, employment, participation or social interaction, with a focus on taking awareness of Indian Sign Language (ISL) beyond the Deaf community.
For the Deaf community, ISL is a language in its own right, with its own linguistic structure and visual form of expression. It plays an important role in learning, self-expression, identity and participation in society.
Tata Steel Foundation’s Sabal programme conducts awareness sessions in schools, colleges, workplaces, families and rural communities to promote understanding of Deaf culture and communication and introduce participants to basic signs.
The programme also facilitates basic ISL training for members of the Deaf community and provides opportunities for development through various interventions.
Its athletic training programme for Deaf people combines inclusion with sport, helping participants build confidence, teamwork, discipline and aspiration while exploring opportunities beyond conventional expectations.
Education and rural outreach
Education is another key focus of Sabal. At Carmel Bal Vihar in Jamshedpur, 12 students from the Deaf community of Noamundi are pursuing residential schooling from Classes VIII to XII.
The Foundation has also extended ISL awareness initiatives to rural areas, with sessions being conducted in Joda, Noamundi and Danagadi. The outreach seeks to sensitise families, institutions and communities while promoting greater participation of persons with disabilities.
India’s institutional push for sign language
The Government of India approved the establishment of the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) in 2011. The centre was subsequently established as an autonomous organisation under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in September 2015.
ISLRTC works on research and development of Indian Sign Language, training and educational resources, including the Indian Sign Language Dictionary.
The United Nations proclaimed September 23 as the International Day of Sign Languages in 2017, with the first observance held in 2018. The date also commemorates the establishment of the World Federation of the Deaf in 1951.
The International Week of Deaf People is being observed from September 21 to 27 this year under the theme “Declaring Deaf People’s Human Rights.”
Month-long ISL campaign
Sabal is marking the occasion through a month-long celebration centred on Indian Sign Language, taking the message beyond a single day and encouraging wider awareness and learning.
Established in Noamundi in 2017, Sabal has grown into a broader disability inclusion programme covering education, skilling, livelihoods, sports, rights-based inclusion and community engagement across parts of Jharkhand and Odisha.
The initiative emphasises that inclusion is not about creating a separate space for persons with disabilities, but about making existing social, educational and professional spaces more accessible to everyone.
