When I first joined the OSC community I expected to adjust to the environment just like I did in India but I couldn’t be more wrong. The feeling and the environment were not what I expected it took time to fit into the community. That sparked an idea if a person without any disabilities was having trouble fitting into the community in general then how hard it would be for a deaf person to adjust in a community? When researching this topic I found out that Sri Lanka does not have proper facilities to support deaf people, this inspired me to create A Pamphlet and a Poster that teaches the basics of American sign language and would be given out to the public/restaurants/shops and posters will be placed in public places to encourage people to learn a small amount of SL, enough to communicate with the people from the Deaf community known as Project De@ffinity.
Hellen Keller once said, ‘Blindness cuts us off from things, but deafness cuts us off from people. Deafness alienates one from people as the basic linking of humans through communication. The majority of people would not know what to do if they were in the presence of a deaf person since they have never encountered one. This project aims to bridge the communication gap and break the language barrier between the Deaf and hearing communities. This act is also in line with the UN SDG 11 which aims at making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Managing normal interactions is one of the most frequent difficulties associated with hearing loss. A deaf or hard-of-hearing individual might have close friends and family who are proficient in sign language and speak in. way that makes easy-to-read lips. But for the majority of people outside their network, this won’t be the case. Hearing loss has a wide range of potential consequences. Among these include social isolation, loneliness, and dissatisfaction, especially in elderly individuals with hearing loss.
First I wrote a report “Building Equitable and Inclusive Ecosystem for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Individuals in Sri Lanka” which
h highlights the challenges faced by DHH individuals and the need for greater inclusivity in Sri Lanka. It covers the concept of disability, linking it to social marginalization and outlining the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion. The report discusses global trends in accessibility, such as advanced technology and inclusive education, and provides an overview of the situation in Sri Lanka, including barriers in education, employment, and legal rights. It calls for improved policies and practices to ensure better social integration and support for DHH individuals. This report was sent to the government’s office and shortly I got a letter of appreciation from Sagla Ratnayaka ( The chief of staff to the president and the National security advisor ) on the 23rd of August 2024 which was a big boost I needed to take this project forward.
The next task was to launch the project in the eastern province of Sri Lanka with governor Mr. Senthil Thondaman on September 10 th, 2024. To launch this project I presented at the governor’s office with over 130 provincial secretaries present. The project Deafinitty was implemented in over 50 schools and government organizations across the districts of Batticaloa, Trincomalee, and Ampara in the eastern province.
Finally, I wanted to launch the product in Taj Samudra Hotel Colombo for that I had a meeting with the general manager of the hotel and shortly after the meeting, I gave a presentation to all the HODs of the Hotel officially launching it at the hotel.
This is a big project that I had taken on and at first, I wasn’t even sure that I would be able to get this far undertaking this project was one of the best experiences and I feel really good that I was able to do something for the people who are not as fortunate as us. This is my one small step towards breaking the barrier between hearing and nonhearing people.
