Audio and visual modalities are two primary means of communication. Humans use these multi-modalities to convey emotions, ideas, and messages effectively. In recent years, we have been using audio-visual communication technology. The audio modality for communication quite often remains noisy and needs to be reviewed as misuse of it has caused sound pollution and hearing loss to many. However, the usage of visual communication modality has enabled millions of deaf people to use their abilities.

In India, persons with deafness use Indian Sign Language (ISL), which is a visual-spatial concept-based language, to communicate. Our society needs to recognize this and constitutionally accept it as a language. The Government of India recognized ISL usage through the establishment of the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC), New Delhi, in 2011, under the 11th Five Year Plan (FYP).

ISL uses a visual communication modality that involves the transmission of information through signs and visual cues, such as gaze and facial expression elements, as part of the grammatical and linguistic features of a language. It encompasses various visual-spatial modalities with linguistic cues like tone, pitch, volume, and intonation.

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Every year, the United Nations observes 3 December as International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD). One of the challenges that Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) face in our society is communication. PwDs have certain limitations as they are unable to communicate like abled-bodied persons. We need to accept and learn their language like Indian Sign Language (ISL) for the Deaf, and Braille and Video/Audio description for the Blind. They are human beings and embody the presence of God. 

We need to join hands with persons with disabilities (PwDs) and organizations. To begin with, we need to respect them in the usage of language, especially when we address them through text or visuals in social media or mass media. Quite often, a person who is hard-of-hearing is called ‘mukh’ or ‘gunga’ in our local language, in both print and digital media, which dehumanizes them in our society. A deaf person cannot hear, but if given assistive devices and trained, they can speak or communicate through sign language. We become disabled when we are not able to communicate in their language for providing information, education and entertainment. Hence, it is important to accept their language and accept the person or the PwD. This means we have provided accessible language to PwDs.

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