Pundalik alias Siddhant Narendra Salgaonkar living in remote Deulwada at Dhargal in Pernem taluka bagged the State Award for Persons with Disabilities as Best Disabled Employee (H H) on Goa Liberation Day. The Directorate of Social Welfare felicitated him on December 19, 2019.
“I am deaf and hard of hearing (HH),” he introduces himself without being ashamed of his disability. Admitting that deafness and inability to speak (being deaf-mute) significantly impacted his communication, education, social interaction, reducing the overall quality of life, and leading to challenges in accessing information, forming relationships and participating fully in society.
“We came to know that our son is deaf when he was eight months old, after finding out that he does not respond to our calls. We took him to the doctor who said, that Pundalik has hearing impairment by birth. He will not be able to hear, and has to use hearing aid. So from childhood he has been using hearing aid. But he is sharp and intelligent,” stated Pundalik’s mother, Nisha Salgaonkar and added, that the family members communicate with him not with sign language, by either in writing, or even verbal/body language, as Pundalik can grasp what is being said, most of the times. She also stated that Pundalik did an online language course in English Grammar from Delhi Board and was happy with the way teachers taught.
Pundalik studied at the Sanjay School. After his 12th (NIOS) he did a three-year diploma in Modern Office Practices (MOP) scoring first class. He had computers in school, but he did advance diploma course in Computer Application, scoring A grade. And he also did a typing tutor course and got certification for 35 words per minute. With these tools he entered the battlefield of life.
“Hearing loss had effect on my ability to learn, to communicate and my socialising skills. In my childhood, my hearing impairment often went unnoticed compromising my ability to speak and express my needs. If no rehabilitation was done I would have developed physical and mental issues,” he expresses.
Highlighting the problems faced by deaf and dumb people, or persons with hearing impairment, Pundalik points out that people often fail to overcome the difficulties that arise in the day-to-day lives of those who are deaf. “Talking on the telephone, understanding human speech in noisy environments, participating in work meetings, understanding a simple conversation with several people or the absence of subtitles are just a few examples,” according to him.
How can one overcome these challenges? Citing his own example, Pundalik explains, “I use sign language with my friends. I continued learning as education is a powerful tool for learners who are deaf or hard of hearing. My teachers taught me with patience and dedication to meet my needs. My parents also helped me in every aspect of my life to overcome my difficulties.”
Pundalik is not a beneficiary of any government scheme. He does a job and is financially independent. Initially he worked as accountant office staff at Gauri Petrol Pump for almost five years. Then he joined the Registration Department as multi-tasking staff (MTS) on May 17, 2022 and currently is working at Pernem. A month from now he will be completing three years here.
Not getting discouraged by experiencing discrimination, he just cared for knowing his rights and the rights of others who face similar challenges. He himself faced access challenges in life. But all this has motivated him to fight for change. “I am a fighter,” he says.
To parents with a child having hearing impairment, his advice is to have faith in God’s blessings and wisdom. Pundalik’s disability was at birth. He recalls spending a childhood with supportive family, friends and relatives. All were very helpful and nice to him. Computer was his favourite subject. He loved drawing and painting. He likes to travel too. Indulging in social work, helping others is also what he loves to do. Spending time with friends, get-togethers and picnics and having fun moments is what gives him joy.
“I look at the world with respect, and expect the same from the world. I believe in God’s supreme power. I feel the children with disabilities are children of God, and it is he who takes care of them. Today science and technology also have become godly. Both of these help the persons with disabilities in many ways and make their life easy. It is a boon to PwDs,” concludes Pundalik.
