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Deaf Contribution in Corporate Employee Development Training |
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Written by Sarah
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Friday, 17 July 2009 10:14 |
July, 2009
For my client, the Nepal Pharmaceutical Company, the first of our four annual Professional Development Training workshops for managers and next for medical representatives were due first and second week of this month of July. What could we do different this time?
A Deaf Culture study initiative! The venue for the first workshop was Nepal’s only Heritage Hotel, the Dwarika’s Hotel After a great lunch spread in keeping with the Dwarika tradition, we settled down to this new learning in Deaf Culture. Soon we were into Signed communication with the managers mastering the alphabets in ASL and even engaging in team activities on signing and reading. With this lively interaction, thanks to Deaf participation, there was not even a trace of post lunch lethargy!
Deaf Ballroom Dance was presented by two of our star performers, Deaf Anita Prajapati and Deaf Sunil Aley Magar. (Anita is doing her final year in School and Sunil is halfway through B Ed). They danced with precision and disciplined style to music they did not hear. Later VP Marketing, on behalf of the management, honored Anita and Sunil with gifts. Senior Product Manager gave a brief address of thanks and appreciation.
 What was the feedback from the managers after this encounter with Deaf Culture, this small testimonial of Deaf triumph over what we the Hearing call a Disability?
The participating managers named it Opportunities in Obstacles. Yes, the obstacle of belonging to a Minority Deaf Cultural community living in a predominantly Hearing society mostly ignorant of Signed communication and culture.
What did the managers say they were inspired to do? Many voiced a commitment to reach out to bridge communication gaps by learning Sign Language and looking for ways to be socially inclusive, both in their personal and professional lives. Some expressed the need for Social Responsibility Awareness not only at the corporate level but firstly and more importantly, at the grass roots level, as individuals.
The next workshop was at the Hotel Shankar in the luxury of old time ambience. Here we had greater Deaf participation and presence. Deaf Om Shrestha (still in High School) did a mime of Charlie Chaplin, king of silent movies.
I thank the management of Nepal Pharmaceuticals for welcoming Deaf contributions in their employee development program and making it professionally rewarding for each Deaf participant. This is a first time activity in the country’s record of professional development training in the corporate sector. We now look forward to more and wider opportunities in times to come …..
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