Kokata and the way ahead!

the recently concluded course in Kolkata only served to emphasise and underline what i have been saying for some time now! Deaf people will use whatever interpreters they have at hand, and those terps are the ones who need the support of and the guidance of trainers. they are already supplying the need of the def community and though they may not be graduates of "Gallaudet" or equally prestigious colleges they are walking the walk, talking the talk and they know the local variant far better than any one else.

From a development perspective and from the developing country point of view, i want to strengthen the hands of the ones who are already doing the job. I think one of my most humbling moments was when this interpreter working in the rural areas explained his work and how he was the only interpreter for hours in any direction. He was so serious when he talked of the local signs and how they were different to the ones that he was taught in the course he attended at a Govt institute and seeing him feeling guilty about using signs that the local deaf use and understand, was awful.

He is a young man, motivated, full of energy, loves deaf people, hangs out with them all day, works in a school for the deaf where he is the only signer, all he needed was that encouragement and a little more theory and practical tips and he is so so much better than he was earlier and we can check off one district on the emergency list.

Its for these young turks who are pushing the envelope out there that ASLI is working. We are going to work with the far flung terps who are desperate for inputs and so happy to hear that they are providing a valuable service and can charge for their services.

The 'free' culture still prevails in India but to find validation in this young chap was a major for me. We hooked him up to an urban org of def people who are desperate for a terp who is available and motivated. After a 30 min chat about all sorts of things he is now their weekend interpreter. super!