Uddami offers free vocational computer training for deaf or hard of hearing students. We offer classes to deaf students from local schools in Kolkata.
Deaf Intern Michelle “Mich” Sherbondy From Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C.
Mich came to Uddami in the summer of 2006 to work as a volunteer here. She is young deaf woman from America, 21 years old, extremely enthusiastic and full of life. Mich is doing her graduation and traveling all over the world with the dream to spread ASL (American Sign Language) to all deaf people, so that people with hearing disability don’t feel estranged from society.
Here in our school she worked with our deaf students. They were very interested to learn from her not only the subject matter but also the way she communicated. They picked up ASL and learned some computer skills too. Not only that, she taught them how to communicate with others, how to order in a restaurant and how to travel by themselves. The best thing they got from her is the inspiration that they can also do everything other people can do and that their disability* is a trivial thing to overcome.
*in India being deaf is still perceived as a disability