Exploring Instructional and Access Technologies
Session Summary
(M10D)
Transforming Deaf Education in India Through the Use of Technology: Possibilities and Challenges
Ila Parasnis
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The estimated number of deaf people in India between 15 and 59 years of age is 1.74 million (NSSO, 2001). Of these, about 2% (approximately 35,000) are estimated to complete 10th grade education. Most deaf students are mainstreamed, although there are about 425 schools for the deaf in India. Absence of support services (e.g., captioning, notetaking, sign language interpreting), a paucity of qualified special education teachers, difficulty in gaining access to computers and technology, and outdated curricula are some of the challenges that need to be addressed to transform deaf education in India. We will discuss these challenges and the historical context within which they should be viewed. We will also discuss how technological advances such as captioning services, interpreting services through video relay, and teaching courses over the Internet have the potential to transform deaf education in India. These services will have to be appropriately adapted and implemented to meet the needs of the Indian multilingual multicultural society. We will offer some innovative solutions to give Indian deaf people access to quality education and to reduce the digital divide between deaf people in India and the developed countries. |