They did not talk but what they wanted to say was loud and clear – that they wanted to communicate with ‘us’ and appreciated ‘us’ learning their language: sign language. To help those who did not know how to communicate using sign language, the volunteers from Deaf Leaders were there to help.
On Saturday, the volunteers distributed sign language pamphlets to those interested at hotel Sree Annapoorna’s outlets in North Coimbatore, R.S. Puram, Saibaba Colony and on Arts College Road.
In distributing the pamphlets, the Deaf Leaders had the Abilis Foundation’s funding, Nehru Group of Institutions’ support in the form of event sponsorship and The Hindu’s in the form of media sponsorship.
K. Murali, Director, Deaf Leaders, said 24 volunteers were at the four places distributing the bills. The aim was to tell people that learning sign language was easy and that they were ready to assist. By noon his volunteers had distributed the bills to around 1,200 people who walked into the hotel’s branches.
This was just one of the several measures the Deaf Leaders had initiated in the past to bridge the gap between the differently abled and others. And it seemed to have worked.
He said that at least 50 per cent of those who received the pamphlets evinced interest in knowing what it was. They took time to interact with the volunteers and go through the signs.
Mr. Murali also said that Deaf Leaders would soon celebrate its 10 anniversary by distributing aids to students from underprivileged sections of the society, giving away prizes to students and launching a few projects.
The organisation would follow it up by organising a ‘Deaf Children Film Festival’.
