The ministry of social justice has written to all ministries to implement the move as part of a larger push to address India’s lacking services for the disabled.
New Delhi: Sign-language interpreters may soon be present at all government meetings, seminars and workshops to help hearing-impaired participants.
Efforts to this end were initiated after the ministry of social justice and empowerment wrote to all the ministries last month, requesting the implementation of the move by government departments as well as autonomous bodies, public sector units and their subordinate offices.
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In the letter, Shakuntala Gamlin, secretary in the ministry’s department of empowerment of persons with disabilities, cites the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which came into effect last year, to stress that sign language is a crucial means of communication.
She also urged the government to create a barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities in other areas, such as transportation and access to relevant government information.
“Further, with a view to reach out to persons with hearing impairment, it would be appropriate if sign-language interpretation is made available in all government meetings/seminars/workshops organised by the ministries/departments,” the letter added.
The ministry pointed out that the Indian Sign Language and Research and Training Centre at Delhi was set up for the very purpose of promoting the use of sign language in India and providing technical assistance to encourage its use at government events.
A senior government official expressed doubts about the move, saying it may not be of much help in the long run. “It is just tokenism and will only lead to unnecessary expenditure,” the official added.
Part of a larger push
India has around 80 million people with disabilities. According to the 2011 census, India has over five million people with hearing disabilities and two million with speech impairment. While the Indian public space has been notoriously inaccessible for the disabled, there have been several efforts of late to ensure better facilities and easier access to services for them.
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Last month, minister of state for social justice and empowerment Krishan Pal Singh Gurjar had said he would request home minister Rajnath Singh to recognise the Indian sign language as an official language.
In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had rolled out the ‘Accessible India’ or Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan in seven states for persons with disabilities. Among other things, the programme has an index to measure how disabled-friendly buildings are.