From finance to inclusion, Aman Sharma transforms education for the hearing-impaired (VIDEO)

Working in the corporate sector with some of India’s top MNCs, Aman Sharma’s life took a dramatic turn after a volunteer experience in 2014 with students who were hard-of-hearing. “The students at this school were not being taught in sign language, so they couldn’t understand anything the volunteer teacher was saying,” said Sharma, who had attended the session with his friend Deepesh Nair. This experience became a turning point for them, and in 2016, they co-founded the Training and Education Centre for Hearing Impaired (TEACH), an organisation dedicated to building an equitable ecosystem for Deaf (those who identify as part of the Deaf community and often use sign language) and hard-of-hearing students. 

Sharing Helen Keller’s popular quote, ‘Blindness separates people from things; deafness separates people from people’, he shares, “In India, there are approximately 40,000 colleges and 1,500 universities, but less than 1 per cent are only accessible for people who have deafness and are hard of hearing. Inevitably, 80 to 85 per cent of the population with this disability is either unemployed or underemployed,” shares Sharma.

TEACH was established with the goal of empowering hearing impaired and hard-of-hearing children through higher education and holistic development. By offering both academic and non-academic support, the organisation's aim is to help them lead independent lives and thrive personally, professionally, and socially. "Our mission is to educate and empower these children so they can live lives just like anyone else. Our vision is to establish a world-class educational institution for them, as I believe education is the key to enabling them to lead independent lives," explains Sharma, adding that currently, they have campuses in Mumbai, Delhi, and Pune.

When they started these campuses, the idea was to design a model that would focus on their overall development across three main pillars: the higher education programme, the skill development programme, and the internship and placement programme. Higher education includes providing customised learning that incorporates sign language and assistive technologies to enable full engagement.

The aim of skills development is to enhance the abilities of every student to meet both current and future market demands. A variety of certifications specifically designed for the students is offered. The end goal for TEACH is to enable the students to integrate into the workforce and live a life like any other person. Hence, the organisation has collaborated with several companies where students find placements and perform well.

Kuldip Kaura, ex-CEO, Vedanta, who has known of Sharma’s work for the last five years, shares, "TEACH has made a significant impact on the lives of hard-of-hearing students, particularly in light of the current education system, which offers limited opportunities beyond Class 10. By providing a pathway to pursue education up to graduation, TEACH has introduced a pioneering initiative in India. Through a holistic approach that combines academics with internships and placement opportunities, students are empowered to enter the workforce with confidence and achieve true independence."

Published on: Monday, June 16, 2025, 06:40 AM IST