Deaf School in Chennai

I visited two Deaf schools while in Chennai. At each school the signs were very different. I was able to communicate using the two handed fingerspelling system for english words and then learn how to sign the word. One student had spent some time in Kuwait and had learned the one handed fingerspelling system that ASL uses so he helped translate. Because of that, I was really only able to communicate with students who had some english. Once we established a sense of communication, we relied less and less on english. St Louis School has all standards including a college with a degree in business. They didn't have any statistics on how many students are employed after graduating. And I later learned that many students drop out because job opportunites are limited and the Deaf are paid less than their hearing counterparts.

At C.S.I School , I met with a group of younger students and I videotaped them telling stories. I thought I would be able to communicate easier with them after spending a day at St Louis but I found many signs extremly different. It took awhile but we got it. That's what is so great about any Deaf community, the desire to communicate is so strong that everyone pitches in and helps all members understand one another, not matter how long it takes.
The language was so different because It all depends on from where the students come, some from rural areas where a more gestural language is used or different cities that have different systems. When they all arrive in the dorms, they create a unique language with all their influences. The kids were boisterous, eager to communicate and had great patience for my moments of confusion. The rural kids are pulled into a more formal usage of sign language. They had learned the one handed finger spelling system but with so many positional and handshape errors that I couldn't help but show them how we do it in ASL. I'm sure a non-fluent hearing person taught them.

Both schools were Catholic. The taught oral method in the classroom. The students are referred to as Deaf and other people are called normal. The ability to intermingle with the normal people is a high priorty and so oralism is adopted as the teaching method. In the classrooms, teachers spoke at very high levels with some signs thrown in here and there. I met one Deaf teacher. When I asked her about deaf clubs for adults she responded that she doesn't go because there is too much trouble, gossip and drama. "I go to work and home." Seems like this is a world-wide occurence in small communities. Some students were english medium students and some Tamil students. There is no fingerspelling system for Tamil which has many many more letters than english.

The students told the Tortoise and the Hare story and one boy whose father is deaf told a wonderful rendition of Spiderman.

The principal was genial and seemed to respect the capabilities of the students. She sort of signed. The kids told me she was very strict and wouldn't ever let them play.

I left exhausted and overwhelmed. A few days is not enough. I wanted to return to a festival day on Sunday but I was on my way south. I thought I'd pop up but after the 3 hour bus ride to Pondi I decided "pop" up doesn't exist when you are driving on Indian Roads.

On the way to Pondi, I passed open fields with triangle heaps of white salt. I was reminded of Gandhi and the Salt March. I was there a few weeks later when the march was remembered by Sonia Gandhi and the country.