Deaf boy discovered tied to pole

The AFP / Punit Paranjpe photo that has caused a stir

A deaf boy tied to a pole during most of his day in India is causing a stir after it was reported by the French news agency AFP. His grandmother says she wanted to keep nine-year-old Lakhan Kale safe while she is at work. But when an India newspaper ran pictures of Lakhan, which you can see here, government officials moved him into an institution.
Read the full story here.

Deaf in India

Attending school in India is difficult for the deaf. One man told the BBC, "In my school, the teachers treated us very badly. It used to make me angry. They would just write on the board but they could not explain what they were writing. It was very difficult to learn." The British news agency reports that "Most deaf Indian children reach adulthood with a vocabulary of just 50-odd words, and little ability to understand or cope with the world. They are rarely employable." Read more here.

Work on new implant in India

Clinical trials are starting in India for development of a new cochlear implant. The research is backed by the Indian government with work being done by the Rockland Group of Hospitals in the New Delhi area. The trials will be completed in two years and when it becomes available, the devise could cost as little as $2,500.

Texting Limits

New texting rules in India hurts the deaf. Read the story in the Wall Street Journal here.

Malaysian Film Fest

Nearly a dozen films put together by deaf filmmakers will be shown at the Malaysia-India Deaf Films Festival in the city of Kuala Lumpur a week from today (July 15). It is part of the 15th anniversary celebration of the Malaysian Federation for the Deaf.

Hundreds go deaf in India

600 teachers in India are suddenly claiming to be deaf. They happen to be up for transfer to other schools in the Yavatmal district. Teachers can be transferred after five years of working in the same village - unless they suffer a "with a deformity of 40% or more." Of the 900 teachers eligible for transfer, two-thirds of the teachers are claiming they can't be moved on the basis of this loophole. School authorities say their cases are being referred to the medical board to determine whether they are faking.

Deaf Film Fest in India

The India Deaf Film Festival takes place this weekend at the Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi. Below on DeafNewsToday.com is a video about the event. Or you can read more information here.

India Film Fest

The India Deaf Film Festival takes place December 3rd and 4th at the Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi. Below on DeafNewsToday.com is a video about the event.

Award-winning Indian Film

A film about a blind and deaf girl and her relationship with her teacher will be shown in Seattle tonight. Black is a Indian movie that won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi in 2005. The film is a creative adaptation of the The Miracle Worker. The presentation is part of the Seattle Art Museum’s Gardner Center for Asian Art and Ideas short Indian festival, Eye on India Seattle, which runs throughout July. There's more info here.

Deaf in DC

A Gallaudet professor tells the story of his transition from India to Washington in the new book Deaf in DC. Madan Vasishta arrived in the nation's capital in 1967 without the ability to understand American Sign Language or read lips. His memoir describes his struggles and eventual rise to earn a doctorate and eventually teach in the school he came to America to attend. His 2006 book, Deaf in Delhi, tells about his childhood and this book picks up where the first one left off. Find out more about his book here.

Driving in India

The Delhi High Court Monday is asking India's government to allow the deaf to have driving licenses. As of now, the country's Motor Vehicle Act prohibits deafpersons from driving on the ground that they "may pose danger to others." The Automotive Research Association of India and the National Road Safety Council is reportedly discussing the measure with the Technical Standing Committee. The deaf are able to drive in all but about two dozen countries.

India's Implant

A government run Indian company says it will offer it's own cochlear implant by the end of the year. The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) hopes to produce a less expensive model than the ones already on the market. The annoucement was made at the 63rd annual conference of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India.

Deaf Expo 2010

An international conference on deaf issues will take place in New Delhi starting Monday. The second Deaf Expo 2010 will focus on technologies and educational aids for people with hearing disabilities in the country. Some 500 people are expected. The Miss India Deaf Contest will take place during the Expo.

Deaf Expo in India

The 2nd International Deaf Expo takes place in New Delhi, India from December 13th-17th. The topic will be Empowering Technologies in Education of the Deaf/ Hard of Hearing. For details go here.

Implant Maker Expands in India

Cochlear Ltd is setting up shop in India. The Austrialian company will have offices in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Cochlear has been selling implants in the Indian market for some 15 years and plans to sink about $15 million into promoting its products in the country. It dominates the cochlear implant market worldwide and has hired more than 50 people in India.