FREEDOM TO SIGN™ under AccioMango, Pvt. Ltd. today announced the launch of an online T-shirt business that revolves around the global movement on the awareness of sign language. The brand FreedomtoSign™ comes with a wide range of clothing with exclusive T-shirts for all, especially designed by Deaf artists to give a new vision to the beauty of outfits. Also, this will contribute to a major part of nation building in terms of economy and globalization and creating awareness of sign language to cultivate inclusion in the society. Each T-shirt would have a subtle message on the awareness of how sign language can improve the language development of each deaf child in India.
FreedomtoSign™ focuses on producing and selling clothes designed by a group of talented Deaf artists who will create new collections every four months. Each design would bring out their personal stories about the social stigma of using sign language. With this enterprise operated by Deaf entrepreneurs, it is our hope to create a “deaf ecosystem” by encouraging more in the community to establish their own ventures.
• Every T-shirt sold will give a free hour of ISL lesson to teachers by a certified Deaf Instructor. We also expect an indirect impact on education for deaf children and an impetus for ISL to become the 23rd recognized language of India
The T-Shirts will be available online starting 27th December, 2020 at INR 599 for the Classic Collection. For more information on our products and to place orders, visit www.freedomtosign.com Please follow us on Instagram @freedomtosign where we will share multiple heartfelt stories from deaf individuals to teachers and artists.
Behind the Scene – Dr. Alim Chandani, Founder of Freedom to Sign™
Dr. Alim Chandani, Deaf Activist, Social Entrepreneur, member of World Federation (WFD) of the Deaf Expert Group – Accessibility, Interim Director of Gallaudet Innovation and Entrepreneurship (GIEI), and Mission Leader of ‘Hear A Million’ Project – Enable India
Born Deaf in Mumbai, India. In 2013, he obtained his Doctorate in Administration and Supervision in Special Education from Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., USA.
His doctoral research brought him back to his homeland in 2016 upon realizing that it is unacceptable for deafness to be a barrier to good quality education and equal opportunities. The lack of good education makes numerous deaf people in India unaware of their inherent potential. Dr. Alim’s greatest passion is to show the Deaf community that “impossible dreams can become possible.”
In the past four years, he has successfully spearheaded several initiatives such as Centum-GRO Initiative and Access Mantra Foundation. He has won multiple prestigious awards such as the ‘Persons with Disabilities category” – NCPEDP – Mphasis Award and ‘Compassion to Action’ -Bharti Changemaker Award.
Recently, he joined Enable India as a Mission Leader of a new project called, ‘Hear a Million,’ which will aim to reach the lives of 1 million deaf people with a goal of empowering them to become changemakers.
Dr. Alim has delivered several TEDx talks and has advised governments and NGOs in emerging market across the world on Deaf education and skills training for the Deaf. “We have chosen to name the brand ‘Freedom to Sign’, reflecting our support for sign language in schools. It signifies the freedom to follow our beliefs, such as Freedom to Vote, Freedom to Live and above all, Freedom of Expression.” – Dr. Alim Chandani, Founder of FreedomtoSign™
