Team Goemkarponn
CANDOLIM: The International Week of Deaf People 2025 and the International Day of Sign Languages were marked with a special day-long programme at Novotel Goa, Candolim, on Saturday. The celebration, themed “SIGN · SMILE · SHINE”, was organised by the Social Work Programme of Goa University’s D.D. Kosambi School of Social Sciences & Behavioural Studies, in collaboration with the Goa Association of the Deaf (GAD), the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech & Hearing Disabilities (Divyangjan), the Directorate of Unnat Bharat Abhiyaan, and the UGC Centre for Study of Social Exclusion & Inclusive Policy.
Around 50 Deaf children and young people participated in the event. The day began with an Indian Sign Language (ISL) awareness session for Novotel staff conducted by GAD and DTISL, followed by games, workshops, and confidence-building activities for the children. In the afternoon, hotel chefs conducted a hands-on bakery session, and participants were given a guided tour of the hotel’s departments, offering them rare professional exposure to hospitality spaces. ISL interpretation was provided by Muskan Shaikh and Josefina Fernandes.
Prasad Joshi, Secretary of GAD, said the event was “recognition of Deaf identity, culture, and the right to inclusion,” adding that the children “felt seen and respected today.”
Udhayan Damodharan, Director of Talent & Culture at Novotel Goa, highlighted the value of the initiative for the hotel staff: “Learning Indian Sign Language and engaging with the Deaf community was eye-opening. Inclusion is not charity—it is good hospitality.”
Peter F. Borges, Assistant Professor of Social Work at Goa University, noted that the initiative reflected the programme’s commitment to real-world inclusion practices: “This is an important step towards ensuring our students engage meaningfully with inclusive social development.”
The event was coordinated by Borges with active support from faculty and MSW students. It concluded with reflections, a group photograph, and a collective reaffirmation that inclusion, language access, and Deaf-led advocacy must remain central—so that every child can truly sign, smile, and shine.
