However, the motto of SAHAS is Deaf, but not Dumb. For SAHAS is convinced by its experience. For SAHAS is convinced by its experience, that if a child with deafness can be detected early in life, that is, within the crucial language learning age of 0-5, is fitted with appropriate hearing aids and an intervention program is activated immediately in a language-rich environment, there is simply no re
ason why this child will not sit alongside his hearing peers in school and do all the things that a hearing child is expected to do. SAHAS is a community-based organisation. The nucleus of any community is the family, the primary caregivers of a child. The aim of SAHAS is to rehabilitate the deaf child in the hearing community through an intervention programme which the parents are trained to execute. SAHAS wants the parents to be in the driving seat of their child's rehabilitation programme. SAHAS wants that the lives of hearing impaired should not be shackled by their inability to communicate orally with the society at large. They should learn, talk and fight, feel and express emotions just as all other growing children do and develop their faculties to the best of their abilities. In short, SAHAS wants children with hearing impairment to surmount the barriers of their handicaps and lead meaningful lives. Above all, SAHAS believes that this CAN HAPPEN. And for this to happen, parents have a leading role to play. The awareness of parents, their acceptance of their child's limitations and their motivation to help their children achieve higher and higher goals are crucial keys to the closed doors facing our hearing impaired children.