Anantapur: The Andhra Pradesh government is fully committed to the welfare and empowerment of the hearing-impaired, said District Collector O Anand.

He was speaking at the International Day of the Deaf and Sign Language celebrations held at the Revenue Bhavan, organised by the Department of Welfare for Differently Abled, Transgenders, and Senior Citizens.

The Collector extended greetings on the occasion and stated that hearing impairment should not be seen as a weakness but as a unique lifestyle.

“Hearing-impaired individuals are an integral part of society. They too have dreams, abilities, and aspirations, which can be effectively expressed through sign language,” he noted.

Highlighting government initiatives, Anand stated that special attention is being given to education, employment, and healthcare for the differently-abled.

So far, 45 hearing-impaired persons in Anantapur district have secured government jobs, and pensions have been distributed to 6,707 eligible beneficiaries.

Nearly 948 individuals have been identified for hearing aids, which will be distributed shortly. The Collector also stressed the importance of learning sign language to communicate effectively with the hearing-impaired and announced measures for inclusive infrastructure, such as ramps and lifts in public offices under SIPDA proposals.

He assured that demands for a government building for associations of the hearing-impaired would be considered.

Andhra Pradesh Differently Abled Corporation Chairman Gaduputi Narayanaswamy, who participated in the event, reiterated that the state government under Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is extending full support and distributing laptops and touch phones to the hearing-impaired.