Bengaluru’s 1st Indian Sign Language Trivia promotes inclusion & deaf culture

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From fun facts about Bengaluru to India’s deaf culture, the Indian Sign Language (ISL) Trivia event organised in Bengaluru for the first time, turned out to an exciting experience.

Organized by Centum-GRO, ISL Trivia was an inclusive event. There were deaf and hard of hearing people present in the audience. The accessible venue, among the few in Bengaluru, made it even more of an attraction.

ISL Trivia is the brainchild of Dr Alim Chandani, who is Associate Vice President at Centum Learning Limited. He also heads Centum-GRO (Global Reach Out).

Enabling the deaf in different ways

Centum-GRO, an initiative of Centum Foundation, aims to empower the deaf community to shape their future. It holds regular skills training programs for the deaf to improve their chances of employment.

Events like ISL Trivia are also held to encourage the deaf community to come out into the open. They create opportunities to socialise and be visible.

To get the group comfortable, the ISL Trivia started with a round quiz round on Bengaluru. Participants had to put on their thinking hats as they were asked questions like the name of the first spice company in the city.

Rounds two and three directed the focus towards India’s disabled population. There were questions about sign language and India’s deaf community. Like, how many sign languages exist in the world, or the name of the first college for the deaf in India.

The event was inclusive and open to participants as well as the public. The interaction made it a lively affair.

Dr. Chandani, hopes to hold more events like these in Bengaluru.

We want people to get together and share their experiences. The aim is to focus on advanced skill empowerment among the deaf and hard of hearing in India. There are a lot of deaf people who are passionate about things like art and entertainment. They need to be confident and have an identity for themselves – Dr Alim Chandani, Founder, ISL Trivia & Head, Centum-GRO

ISL Trivia’s approach of using general knowledge to bring together the deaf and the hearing seems to be a good one. By making the event centered on deaf culture, Dr Chandani wants to instil pride in sign language.

Centum GRO has been working persistently to being about changes on the ground. They negotiated successfully with multiplex PVR Cinemas to add sub-titles to films so even the deaf can enjoy them. All movies produced under Viacom will henceforth have sub-titles.

Dr Chandani also wants to change the manner in which events for the deaf and hard of hearing are held in India.

All the events that are held for the hard of hearing and the deaf are organized and carried forward by the hearing. How will a hearing person feel what the deaf or hard of hearing has to communicate! I believe that the deaf and hard of hearing must lead and the hearing must follow. Every individual knows what works best for them and their environment – Dr Alim Chandani, Founder, ISL Trivia & Head, Centum-GRO

For such events to be held regularly in Bengaluru, there are many challenges to overcome. For one, there are not enough exclusive youth organizations for the deaf in the city. Lack of accessible venues is another problem.

Going by the success of ISL Trivia’s debut, hopefully, these challenges will be overcome soon. With so many people coming together and such a heartwarming response, the next ISL Trivia promises to be an even more exciting affair.