Hear To Help!

Humanitarian award recipient, audiologist and speech therapist Devangi Dalal tells us all about her vision to make children with hearing impairment an asset to society through her Josh Foundation.

- Tsunami Costabir

What triggered your interest in specializing in audiology and speech therapy?

I wanted to become a general surgeon but I missed the mark by 6%. I was offered Occupational Therapy but that didn’t appeal to me. The interviewer then asked me to opt for audiology. This was in 1988, and back then, I didn’t know anything about the field. I started researching on the subject and really liked it as it was unique.

After graduation, I started working with ENT specialist Dr Jayant Gandhi. I realized that I was very comfortable dealing with children and they were equally comfortable with me. I loved the fact that I could make such a huge difference in people’s lives by helping them hear.

What methods does Josh Foundation use to help with the rehabilitation of people with hearing impairments?

All hearing impaired individuals have some residual hearing. We have not come across any patient with complete deafness. If the hearing impairment is detected early, with the help of the right technology and proper rehabilitation program, we can make these children near normal in hearing and speaking.

We also teach the parents of these children the Dos & Don’ts of the hearing aids, and how to behave with and treat their children.

At Josh, we have grown with every patient. So far, we have treated over 1,000 children.

How do you get rid of the barriers that prevent people with hearing impairments from blending into the mainstream?