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Manan Shah

Manan Shah (Manan Rameshbhai Shah) is a charismatic youth leader from Gujarat and an experienced International Sign (IS) Interpreter. He was one of the very few deaf youth leaders from India who have done the coveted 'Frontrunners' training program on 'International Deaf Youth Leadership' from Denmark in 2011. He has so far travelled to 12 countries, participated in various youth camps, conferences and done multiple freelance assignments. He is part of a unique initiative as Course Facilitator and Manager, Orjet Foundation, Ahmedabad teaching Indian Sign Language (ISL) online to the young deaf kids (age 2.5 to 10 years) of deaf parents. Manan does anchoring, interpreting, event management on free lance basis along with organizing fascinating interviews with deaf leaders on his Instagram channel as the Developer and Provider, Inspiring Educative Creativity Games for the Deaf (@iecgd21).  

 He is the General Secretary at Akhil Gujarat Badhir Vikas Sangh (AGBVS) & President, Badhir Mandal Bhavnagar (BMB). He had previously served as Vice President, National Association of the Deaf Youth Section (NADYS) for 1.5 years. 

Manan was born on 27th September 1989 in Bhavnagar, Gujarat to a hearing family. Manan recalls how his parents always gave him responsibilities even as a child be it shopping or going to bank, they did not go easy on him just because he was deaf. This shaped him as an independent individual. His parents had put him initially in a hearing school for a few months, but soon changed to a deaf school K.L.Institute, Bhavnagar where he completed his school education.

Manan adds : " My dad was my best friend, my great teacher and greatest role model. He saw potential in me, put alot of responsibilities on me and was always pushing me to aim higher without putting restrictions on me, which made me the person I am today "

He shares that it was not until he turned 17, that he fully understood his deaf identity, power of sign language and became truly involved in the deaf community. He credits this to the trainings in literacy skills bilingually (English reading-writing skills through ISL) from Ishara Foundation in 2010, Vadodara, and second ‘Teaching Indian Sign Language' (Level A)’ from Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for Speech and Hearing Disabilities (Divyang) in Mumbai in 2011.  He completed a BA degree through correspondence from Kalinga University in 2017.

Manan has always been interested in starting his own business, but with several communication challenges with other hearing counterparts and lack of clear access at banks and other offices, he has not been able to materialize his business ideas yet, though he hopes one day he would be able to breakthrough these barriers.

A few glimpses of his achievements:
2017        Training Deaf Youth in the five cities Empowerment and Leadership (Kolkata, Kerala, Bangalore, Goa, Mumbai)
2016        8th World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) RSA Youth Camp, Singapore
2014        Thailand Deaf Youth Group, 7th WFD Asia Youth Camp
2013 Sign 6 in Goa
2012        General Secretary, Deaf Youth Association, Gujarat
2012        International Deaf Youth camp in China
2012        International Volunteer at Sri Lanka Association of the Deaf (Southern Province) Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka
2011 World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) Congress, South Africa
2011 “Deaf art & Deaf Gain” in FFSB – Jeunes and Pivisual Belgium 
2011        Training Deaf Youth in the five cities Empowerment and Leadership (Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Rajkot & Bhavnagar)

He envisages a world where deaf people wouldn't have to constantly request, demand and assert their rights to be seen, acknowledged and given access. He feels passionately about education of young deaf children and looks at them as the future of the community. 

Instagram : @iecgd21



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