Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 10: 12th graders Suhani and Seher galvanise the mostly deaf and hard of hearing residents of a remote Himalayan village into bridging communication barriers with an inventive breakthrough.
The remote village of Dhadkai, nestled in the snowy Himalayas, is separated from the rest of the world by more than just untraversable roads. It is also unique for being composed almost entirely of deaf and hard of hearing residents. From among the 50-60 families that live here, nearly each one has at least one member of the household suffering from a curious congenital disorder that leads to severe speech and hearing disabilities, rendering a large section of the community impervious to the outside world. That is, until two teenagers entered the picture.
Suhani Sachdeva and Seher Taneja, both Grade 12 students from the KC Public School Jammu and Spring Dales, Dhaula Kuan, Delhi, respectively, devised a groundbreaking plan to help deliver the world to Dhadkai’s doorstep.
This plan involved a device that uses a smart algorithm to convert sign language to text and speech, called Swar-Smart Gloves. Seher Taneja proclaimed the National Winner, Atal Innovation Marathon, Niti Aayog 2019, these gloves assist communication for the deaf and hard of hearing. They are riding gloves repurposed with an accelerate sensor and flex sensors along the fingers to gather data and translate it into speech and text.
While Seher designed the product, Suhani sought an audience with the community in Dhadkai to introduce the gloves to them. She bridged the gap by coordinating with the authorities and the Government of J&K for months after finally deciding to execute the plan.
In their quest for success, Suhani faced numerous challenges in the form of inaccessible roads, militant-infested areas and of course, national shutdowns on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. Essential tasks such as testing the efficacy of the gloves and customizing them to the specific needs of the villagers became exponentially difficult as access to Government resources and schools for disabled people was cut off. As each gesture had to be specially worked into the algorithm according to the user, the process was time-intensive and complicated. Suhani battled rough terrains on her journey to Dhadkai. Throughout, the girls were determined to see their mission through, and persevered till they could make it to their destination.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
