The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in coordination with organizations working under it, is celebrating International Week of the Deaf (IWDeaf) from 18^thSeptember, 2023 to 24^th September 2023. During this period the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) anAutonomous organization under the DEPwD and the nodal institute for research, development, training and spreading awareness about Indian Sign Language (ISL) across the country has been conducting various theme-based activities.

These themes include awareness about the Declaration of the rights of the Deaf Child, Building Capacity across the globe, realizing the motto of “Nothing without us”, Putting Deaf people on the Agenda, achieving sign language rights for alland focusing on building inclusive deaf communities. Moreover on the ISL day i.e. 23^rd September 2023 the department shall launch various programs on ISL day under the theme- A World where Deaf People Everywhere can Sign Anywhere. These flagship programs include Video Relay Services, Sign videos of financial and banking terms, ISL course at Special schools for Speech and Hearing Impaired and even self-learning-mode-based ISL Course to make Deaf people self-reliant and impart communication skills to their family members.

Further to imbibe the ISL understanding within the Department, a 2 hour ISL learning workshop was organized on 21/09/2023 under the Chairmanship of Secretary, DEPwD Shri Rajesh Aggarwal for all the officers of the Department. Various daily communication signs were learnt as well as all signs of the English alphabets were understood. In this regards, the Department under the visionary and empathetic guidance of Secretary, DEPwD has been striving to empower People with Hearing Impairment and the larger communities surrounding them.

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MG/PD/SD

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