Deaf education in India still emphasises “oralism”, or the use of speech. But the community argues that sign language is their natural mode of communication.
After facing discrimination as a young man, Narayan Oraon created a script to spread the Kurukh language. Zephyrinus Baxla helped it get out into the world.
They are no longer criminalised by the law. But nomadic and denotified tribal communities continue to be harassed by the police and neglected by the state.