(Skill Development & Training)

The DEF- Skills department conducts Vocational Training Program Courses and is a major wing of DEF. The courses conducted by DEF include:

Basic IT Skills
English Classes
General/ Life Skills
  1. Basic IT Skills:

DEF is working towards providing quality computer education to all Deaf persons so that they can be a part of the Indian work force and play a constructive part in the further development of our society. This Basic computer course and training helps Deaf students to become adept at working with a computer.

Our computer centre is unique in that our teachers and instructors are all Deaf and teach their Deaf students through Indian Sign Language (ISL). DEF aims to create a pool of talented IT workers from the Deaf community. It is our dream that every Deaf person passing through this centre will be placed in companies of repute in IT and other allied fields. We also encourage Deaf persons to pursue self-employment and entrepreneurship

  1. English Classes:

Learning English is a key requirement for any person who wants to get ahead in the current job market. Thus, we provide a Basic Course in English for absolute beginners which equips Deaf persons to be able to more easily converse through written English, as well as an Advanced Course in English which prepares them to have a working knowledge of higher-level English. The aim of these courses is to bring about a significant change in the standard of English knowledge in the Deaf community through effective teaching methods. DEF also has future plans to establish an English Language Institute for the Deaf, which is similar to the classes being conducted for the Deaf in the English Language Institute at the Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., U.S. With this goal in mind DEF plans to devise various programs in the areas of research, development and training.

  1. General/ Life Skills:

DEF is addressing all these problems through the Life Skills Training Workshops. In these workshops Deaf persons are given practical skills to face the challenges of life and also handle the routine issues of daily living. The course content includes helping a Deaf person handle personal information, information on signs seen in day to day living, reading and understanding important labels, activities such as filling in application forms and finding information through different sources. The course also trains the Deaf person in basic literacy while passing on a basic understanding of laws, banking, handling of money and time.