From mom of deaf child to teaching deaf students – The story of Gayathri Raveesh

Gayathri Raveesh’s life changed when a steel plate slipped from her hand 30 years ago and her only son, who was 11 months old, did not react.

She later found out that her son Avinash was deaf.

Five years later she did her diploma in education (DEd) in hearing impairment and her son became her first student.

But he would not be her last.

In 1997, she started the Helen Keller Integrated Educational Society, a school for both parents and children with hearing disability. She went on to complete higher degrees, specialising as a teacher in hearing impairment.

Her school mostly focuses on kids from remote backgrounds. The school also guides children to proper schools, after their basic training.

Gayathri has tutored more than a 100 children and parents. She runs the school with the funds collected from parents.

Her son Avinash completed a diploma in computer science and is today a computer technician and happily married.

Gayathri says that children tend to see the world as shown by their parents, so it is the duty of parents to tell them that they are not disabled but efficiently-abled.

Gayathri is now the president of the Karnataka Deaf Children and Parents Federation and an advisor to the Tumkur Deaf Association.

Watch in Sign Language