The scientists of CSIR-IMTech — a research institute of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Chandigarh — have already started working on the initiative as part of a pilot project. (Representative Image) To offer higher education in science, technology and engineering to hearing-impaired students, the scientists of CSIR-IMTech have planned to prepare content that will help them excel in areas that were out of their reach till now.
The scientists of CSIR-IMTech — a research institute of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Chandigarh — have already started working on the initiative as part of a pilot project. Principal scientist of CSIR-IMTech, Alka Rao, who is leading the initiative, said, “We have planned to provide the content on a website in the form of images and logos for science, technology and engineering students from April itself.”
“As part of the pilot project, we will also engage the students while preparing the new content for them to enable them to understand science and technology. Not only this, after learning these skills, they will further teach those who are also suffering from hearing impairment”, Dr Rao added. The scientists said that science and engineering jargon were proving to be a hurdle for hearing-impaired students, resulting in only a small fraction of them opting for science.
In 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Indian Sign Language will become a language subject. This helped in bringing the challenges of deaf and mute students on centre stage. Recently, when a function was organised at the IMTech, which is part of the National Laboratory Network, a deaf student pointed out his aspirations to do a PhD, asking for the concepts to be made available in sign language.
On the occasion, Haryana Welfare Society for Persons with Speech and Hearing Impairment Chairperson, Dr Sharanjeet Kaur also pointed out extreme challenges hearing-impaired students have to face due to lack of accessible content for them.
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