Transcript

(Rupmani chatting with Sign Language Interpreter, Renuka and then with 

Founder-Trustee, Trinayani, Ritika Sahni) 

Hello! My name is Rupmani. I am from Darjeeling.

I was originally born in Nepal and uh let me share my story.

My father, my family was in Darjeeling, so moved there and I studied in hearing schools. I knew nothing about accessibility.

I thought I was the only deaf person on the planet because I was the only one among so many hearing people.

At the age of 20 when I moved to Delhi, that's when for the first time I saw deaf people signing and I just didn't know what interpreter meant and,

And I just got to understand and learn.

Also, that uh the terminology, deaf and mute, should not be used for deaf people.

So, I understood all that at the age of 20.

It was very late, nevertheless, that's when I learned Sign language and I was very interested in meeting deaf people at that time.

So, I did realize that, you know, accessibility for deaf people is missing.

There are ramps for orthopedically challenged, there’s canes and uh software available for blind people.But for deaf there is no accessibility because an interpreter is the one who provides that accessibility. 

And then I decided to start a VRS uh (Video Relay Service) for the deaf, offering Interpreter services.

This is, uh, It can be used, uh through, uh, any device such as mobile phone or a laptop, where they can access the services of an interpreter.

There are 18 million deaf people in India and about 4.5 million Sign Language users.

There’s about a thousand uh Interpreters only.

So how is that going to meet the accessibility needs of the entire deaf community in India?

So, I am the Co-Founder of SignAble app, SignAble Communications.

So, this is to give the accessibility service of Interpreters, for the deaf community.

So, we are collaborating with Amazon, uh offering 24X7 interpreter services for Amazon, round-the-clock interpreter services are there.

So, and we also are collaborating with Wipro, Accenture and other MNC’s as well, 

and offering that accessibility to uh deaf people at their workplaces.

SignAble app has uh 50,000 downloads till date.

Services start from 9 to 6 

We receive about a 1,000 calls in a day.

Our interpreters speak several languages.

There are 75 interpreters on call and Language support is for 12 different languages.