The Silent Languages We Ignore: 

Rethinking Communication for the Deaf 

Ah, yes- communication. That noble human art. As long as it's loud, dramatic, and preferably in Queen's English, we call it ‘powerful’. But if someone dares to communicate using silence, gestures, or heaven forbid, sign language - we treat it like a cute party trick or a side hobby for social workers. 

We've created a world that celebrates the loudest mic and the fastest mouth. And in this beautifully noisy ecosystem, we've collectively ignored entire languages. Why? Because they don't produce sound. 

Take Indian Sign Language, for instance. A fully evolved, expressive language that most people treat like an optional subtitle. It has grammar, structure, storytelling, and emotion. But it's not spoken, so clearly it doesn't count, right? 

I mean, if you can't shout it in a debate or scream it in a YouTube video, is it even real 

communication? 

(Spoiler: Yes. It absolutely is. And we're being ridiculous.) 

Let's do a quick test. 

How many of us know how to say ‘hello’ or ‘thank you’ in sign language? No? But we do know how to say it in French, Japanese, and Korean. That's not bad, but is it fair? 

We keep talking about inclusivity like it's a trend, a filter we can apply to our schools 

and institutions. Meanwhile, the deaf community still has to fight for basic access - news bulletins without interpreters, classrooms without trained teachers, and events where accessibility means, “We'll add captions later, maybe." 

And here's the twist: sign language isn't just helpful for the deaf. It's brilliant. Watching someone sign is like watching poetry in motion - literal motion. It's layered. It's embodied. It forces you to pay attention. Which, ironically, is something most of us forget to do when we're too busy talking.

Maybe that's the problem. We've made communication a volume contest. 

But being heard isn't about who shouts the loudest. It's about who listens the best. So the next time we think we're ‘good communicators’ because we can pitch, argue, or TED Talk our way through a room, let's remember: There's a whole language happening right in front of us. We're just too loud to see it. 

Priyal Mishra 

Fellow 10th Grader 

Student Secretary 

Head of Media and Communications @PACMUN