A new study urges the Indian government to urgently tackle the growing education crisis for deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children. ISL Recognition In 2014, over 19% of these children were out of school.
The report, authored by Dr. Abhimanyu Sharma from Cambridge’s Faculty of Modern & Medieval Languages & Linguistics, points to a lack of educational provisions, limited access to sign language, and a shortage of specialist schools and institutions as contributing factors to the high dropout rates among DHH students in India.
“Many thousands of children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing are missing out on school in India. This has a huge impact on their well-being and life chances,” Dr. Sharma said
The study, published in Language Policy, stresses that one of the main reasons behind this alarming dropout rate is the failure of schools to provide education in Indian Sign Language (ISL), which remains underused and often stigmatized.
The Harmful Impact of Lip-Reading and Speech-Only Methods
The study highlights the controversial practice of “oralism” — a method that emphasizes lip-reading and speech over sign language. Despite widespread criticism of oralism outside India, many schools continue to favor it, arguing that lip-reading and speech are essential for communication. However, Dr. Sharma argues that “gesturing is not sign language, sign language is a language in its own right and these children need it.”
Dr. Sharma’s personal experience underscores the struggle that deaf children face in mainstream educational settings. “When I was in primary school in Patna, one of my fellow students was deaf. Sign language was not taught in our school, and it was very difficult for him,” he shared. “I would like to support the charities, teachers, and policymakers in India who are working hard to improve education for such students today.”
Decade-wise breakdown of the debates held in the Rajya Sabha on the topic ‘deaf’ (Data extracted from Rajya Sabha debate online repository. I looked for debates that carried the word ‘deaf’ in their subject titles. See
Call for More Schools and Higher Education Institutions for Deaf Students
Despite efforts like the 2015 ISL recognition Research Center, Dr. Sharma urges constitutional recognition of ISL and minority status for funding.
“Dr. Sharma insists that central and state governments must open more schools and higher education institutions for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. He notes there are only 387 schools for DHH children in India, a number he believes is far too low. The National Association of the Deaf estimates the actual number of DHH people in India is about 18 million, much higher than the 5 million reported in the 2011 census.
Dr. Sharma also emphasizes the need for more higher education options for DHH students. Only a few specialized colleges exist, like the St. Louis Institute for Deaf and Blind in Tamil Nadu. As a result, many DHH students have limited higher education options. He also urges expanding interpreter training programs at Indian universities to tackle the shortage of qualified interpreters.
Dr. Sharma urges better education infrastructure, regular policy assessments, research funding for DHH teaching methods, and awareness campaigns to reduce stigma.
2016 Disability Act Brings Positive Changes, But Implementation Remains a Challenge
India’s language policy, which mandates that pupils learn three languages at the secondary stage, poses particular challenges for DHH students. The 1995 Persons with Disabilities Act removed this requirement but lacked mention of sign language or clear education strategies for DHH learners.
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 has made important progress. It mandates training teachers in sign language and encourages its use. However, Dr. Sharma argues that there remains a gap between policy and its implementation.
“In practice, India lacks enough trained teachers to support deaf and hard-of-hearing students. However, Dr. Sharma remains positive that the country can achieve this. Experts like Dr. Sharma believe DHH students’ future will improve as India moves toward a more inclusive education system. They expect stronger policies, more specialized schools, and greater recognition of sign language to make a difference.