The Steadfast Crusader

My name is P R A J W A L, Prajwal P.

I am 39, from Mysore.

I am already married, I have one son and I work at TE Connectivity, which is in Whitefield, Bangalore.

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What about your schooling?

So I, uh, from 1st to 10th I studied in an inclusive batch where there were hearing and deaf.

And once I completed my 10th I went to Hyderabad to do my 11th and 12th, where it was completely signing and then once my 12th was over, I went to KLU, that’s Kalasalingam University, to pursue my BE.

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Are your parents also Deaf?

So, my grandfather is deaf, who passed away, and, you know, but my, both my parents are hearing.

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Do you know the cause of your deafness?

Um I’m not sure, I think it’s a…it’s how I was created…that’s how.

I’m 76% deaf.

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Do you face any challenges at work?

Yes, I would say so.

The problem is when we get new projects and there are meetings, we don’t have interpreters.

So that is an absence and for hearing people, once the meeting is done, when I talk to them it is very, you know, the information is given in a summary where not more details are given, so it is up to me on figuring out a lot of things.

So, yeah, I’m used to it, but, yes.

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Are you the only Deaf person in the company?

No, so, I think before we had six people, three of them have resigned and three of them are with the company right now but we all work in different teams.

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Have you ever asked the management for an interpreter?

Yes, I have asked many times, as a matter of fact, but there is no response from them or…yeah.

I’ve asked.

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Prajwal this deafness is an invisible disability, looking at you, you don’t look Deaf, has that come in your way or has that come to some advantages?

Um, I think it’s very natural, right?

When hearing people see, you know, only when I’m signing probably they see, but, I don’t feel that, you know, it’s…it’s something that I have to be ashamed of.

At the same time, you know, it…I know that I’m mature enough so, deafness is not something that comes in my way, yeah.

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Is your child hearing?

My child is hearing, yeah.

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So, how you communicate?

Uh you know, it’s with gestures, and you know I’m also teaching alphabets, but after a year or two maybe the child will learn sign language but it’s, the child is just 6 months right now, but being, my wife being a hearing person, she speaks to the child, but otherwise yeah.

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You want to say anything?

Nothing much, I think, if I had enough experience probably I would come and say something but mine is…I’m very job focussed and I think uhh..I…I’m just with my work and you know, uh I don’t have much of experience traveling and stuff like that.

So I don’t, you know, at this point I’m not able to tell anything but yeah.