Deaf Not Dumb: National Awareness Campaign to Break Deaf Stereotypes

Abstract

There are more than 63 million Deaf and hard-of-hearing people in India that are still experiencing systemic social exclusion, which is primarily perpetuated by ingrained false beliefs and the use of the offensive term Deaf and Dumb. The capstone project undertaken by SignSetu is the development of a national awareness project called Deaf Not Dumb whose objective is to challenge the harmful stereotypes, raise awareness about the sign language and encourage real inclusion of Deaf people in the Indian society. The project used a mixed-method research design that involved gathering quantitative data in the form of 103 survey questions in three languages (English, Hindi, and Gujarati), and qualitative data in the form of 10 semi-structured interviews with young adults and working professionals. Results indicated that general attitudes towards Deaf people are good, most people acknowledge their intelligence and ability however, there are still large gaps in terms of confidence in communication, the practical knowledge of sign language and awareness that can be put into practice. The primary issue that was discovered was not ignorance, but unactionable knowledge. Based on these insights the campaign was designed to build five messaging pillars, which were correcting misconceptions, building communication confidence, teaching the basics of sign language, ensuring more visibility and representation of Deaf people, and teaching Deaf literacy. The campaign resources include two short video reel scripts, an explainer video, web-based posters, a pack of activities of the offline events, a booklet of Dos and Don'ts, and an influencer strategy of both Indian and foreign Deaf individuals. The project ends with a gradual roll-out plan and gradual budget options to direct the implementation of SignSetu.