Kerala launches sign language course for government employees
The Social Justice department aims to expand the training to other government offices and select college students in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Social Justice department (SJD) has launched a basic certificate course in Indian Sign Language (ISL) for government staff in Thiruvananthapuram. According to The Hindu, the programme is being conducted in association with the National Institute of Speech and Hearing (NISH).
For the past week, 20 employees from the Directorate of Social Justice have been attending the course. Social Justice Director Arun S. Nair said the training will enable officials to communicate directly with people who use sign language.
The 60-hour course uses a blended model consisting of 40 hours of offline classes and 20 hours of online sessions over 10 weeks. It covers topics such as greetings, family, professions, numbers, and common misconceptions about sign language.
Nair, who is also a participant, stated that learning the language is a way to show empathy and ensure that sign language users feel they belong. The first batch consists of directorate employees who work with differently abled individuals.
The department plans to extend the programme to other government offices to ensure at least one or two officials in each office can use basic ISL. A pilot project will also launch this year in five Thiruvananthapuram colleges, including medical institutions.
Next year, the department intends to expand the course to other districts. The SJD is also considering dedicating specific days to communicating solely in ISL once enough employees have completed the training.