The Tamil Nadu State Federation of the Deaf, is an offshoot of the Madras Association of the Deaf. It was established in 1987 for this purpose.  It was formed with the objective of being a mouthpiece for the district level associations for the deaf.

T Raghava, General Secretary of TNFSD, says, "The TNFSD acts as the apex body of all affiliated District Associations, Schools and training centres. Our activities include organising conferences, seminars, special training programmes and inter-school competitions for the hearing impaired.  We also play a key role as a liaison between the government and other Deaf Associations to get grants for special activities.  There are over 37 schools for the hearing impaired in our State and over 27 district associations".

V Swaminathan, President, TNFSD lists the various achievements of the federation, "We have got six grounds of land allotted for the purpose of building a complex for the deaf, we have organised five conferences in different districts of Tamil Nadu, we have had warning signal boards installed near all schools and institutions of the deaf, we have organised matrimonial assistance for the deaf and we have also started placement services, legal assistance and counselling among other services".

Speaking about the plans of TNFSD, Raghava, said, "Basically we have plans to start eleven different units; an advisory unit to suggest new schemes and plans and advice deaf associations; a unit for publications; an information unit to maintain a data base of all hearing impaired in the State, a publicity unit to produce programmes for the hearing impaired which could be broadcast on TV or published in the print medium; a unit that would take care of all activities related to the various conferences and seminars that TNFSD conducts, a human resource development unit that would organise training programmes for the hearing impaired, an interpretation service unit, which would provide communication assistance for the deaf, a grants and finance unit to handle funds, an awards and scholarship unit to recognise outstanding persons involved in work for the deaf, a technical aids unit to study and make available the latest aid for the deaf and a development unit constituting a panel of experts to chalk out future plans. We have progressed on some fronts, though there is still much work to be done".

"The problems of deafness are more complex than those of blindness.  Deafness is a much worse misfortune because of the loss of the most vital stimulus the sound of voice that brings languages, sets thoughts and helps us in intellectual company of men", said Helen Keller.  Deafness is more of a social problem because of the stigma that is attached to it, there ought to be a greater effort to facilitate those persons who have hearing disabilities to enjoy a better social life. It is this that spurs on these office bearers of TNFSD to take up the task of helping the hearing impaired.

Address: TNFSD, 48, Santhome High Road, Chennai 600 028.