How this Lower Parel org works towards better inclusivity for the deaf

Earlier this month the Farhan Akhtarstarrer Bhaag Milkha Bhaag was released in theatres again 10 years after its original release but with one addition On the bottom right of the screen all through the movie an interpreter relayed shotbyshot in sign language She looked stricken when Milkha Singh said ldquoSir mujhse nahi hoga Sir I canrsquot do itrdquo and was lovestruck when he proposed to his lady love She even danced while interpreting the lyrics to the songsEvery person who watched the film which was rereleased specifically for deaf audiences came out with a smile on their face They all had the same thing to say ldquoThis was the first time we truly enjoyed a film because we understood everything Finally we watched a movie in our languagerdquoBhaag Milkha Bhaag was the third film rereleased with interpreters The brainchild of India Signing Hands ISH a Lower Parelbased organisation working towards better inclusivity for the deaf the idea was a learning experience for its cofounders It showed how much more work needed to be done for the deaf community to be included in mainstream lifeChinoy was born to deaf parents and has a deaf aunt uncle and younger brotherldquoThe one question we were askedrdquo says Aqil Chinoy one of the three founders ldquois whether itrsquos a good idea to have an interpreter at the bottom right of the screen People thought it could distract the audience from the film What they donrsquot realise is that because our one sense is underdeveloped or lacking all other senses sharpen automatically over time A deaf person can take in whatrsquos happening on the entire screen the film and the interpreter at the same time simply because our peripheral vision is very strongrdquoBorn and raised in a deaf familymdashparents uncle aunt and younger brother includedmdashthis never dampened the spirits of the Chinoys ldquoWe are never bothered by the screaming and arguing of neighboursrdquo says Chinoy ldquoWe can sleep peacefully no matter how many vehicles are honking outside our house And my father who is a technology fan has installed lights all over the house that indicate the doorbell has rung or the front gate has been left open that the telephone is ringinghellip There are lights outside every room including the bathroom As we canrsquot call out to its occupants we just press a switch And we sleep with vibrating alarm clocks under our pillowsrdquoChinoyrsquos entire life has been a constant battle with misconceptions and ignorance At schoolmdashthis was at a time when most deaf schools in India relied on lip readingmdashhis teachers warned Chinoyrsquos parents against using sign language with him at home The common misconception which prevails despite repeated research indicating otherwise is that sign language diminishes perception and logical thinkingPriya SundaramAfter completing Class III he was integrated into a mainstream school upon his principalrsquos recommendation and struggled with lipreading up to Class X His parents then sent him to Gallaudet University in Washington DC the worldrsquos only institution for deaf and hard of hearing individuals that teaches American Sign Language and English The education he received there coupled with the experiences of his childhood set the foundation for his lifersquos workAfter working with a private firm for 15 years he cofounded India Signing Hands with businessman Alok Kejriwal who is deaf and Dr Mansi Shah a hearing child of deaf parents While they started with promoting sign language they soon realised that there was a lot more to done From here the idea of relaying the daily news in sign language was bornldquoIn my childhood my family was deprived of knowledge and information from TV channels as they used spoken languagerdquo he says ldquoI realised that due to this lack of accessibility many deaf individuals face difficulties especially with education and employment I concluded that the first step had to be towards quality education and access to informationrdquoThe rereleased version of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag had an interpreter at the bottom right of the screen narrating the entire film in sign languageLaunched in 2018 ISH News streaming on Instagram ishnews as well as YouTube became a runaway hit for more than one reason The news broadcasts have video subtitles an interpreter relaying it in sign language and even audio which helps others learn sign language as wellldquoMany ask why we need an interpreter when there are subtitlesrdquo says Chinoy ldquoWhat nobody thinks about is that because of the lack of resources for them the deaf donrsquot get access to quality education and hence a large number of them canrsquot read subtitlesrdquoThe whole idea to make movies accessible is based on the simple premise Why shouldnrsquot the deaf be able to enjoy movies In a world that thinks about inclusion in terms of employment and equal rights entertainment and recreation take a backseat But those too are the basic rights of any human beingldquoI was never able to enjoy films because the subtitles just didnrsquot work for merdquo says Chinoy ldquoI always wanted the deaf to be able to enjoy them Besides by drawing them to the cinema halls what else are filmmakers doing other than promoting inclusivityrdquoISL first interpreted The Kashmir Files in 2022 and then 83 in the same year The response was tremendousmdashapart from heartwarming reactions from the deaf community it also marked the beginning of enlisting top celebrities to the cause ldquoThousands of deaf people reached out with appreciation and gratitude and expressed how they were able to fully connect with the movie thanks to the sign language interpretationmidday visited the ISH officestudio in Lower Parel a cocoon of peace in the busy industrial estate ISH shoots and edits all its news videos here while two teachers conduct sign language classes in a corner Chinoy conversed with this writer through his interpreter Priya Sundaram The synergy between them is obvious with Sundaram not only translating his signs into words but also mirroring his emotions Her voice rises and falls with the words as if it were him speakingPoint this out to her and she doesnrsquot even think itrsquos surprising or out of the ordinary ldquoThatrsquos how sign language works It is more than hand gestures it has its own grammarrdquo says Sundaram who is a CODA Children of Deaf Adults Her mother is deaf while her father is hearing She grew up learning two languages and started working with ISL four years ago part time ldquoI came here with the intention of working a few hours a day and never leftrdquo she says