After the success of the world’s first Computerized Braille Language Laboratory set up by Lodge Fellowship No. 140, the Brethren of Lodge Fellowship No. 140 have once again taken the lead in setting up a unique Lab for the Hearing & Speech Impaired at Ahmedabad.After a lot of deliberations and as per the feedback received from various Institutes and Schools for the need of a learning aid for the speech & hearing impaired it was concluded that we should develop a Language Laboratory for the speech & hearing impaired who could have a device which could help them in developing their talking skills. In view of the above and as per the need we planned a Language Laboratory which could also be called a Phonetic Laboratory which will be a permanent installation in a class room for ten students with an individual seating arrangement and each student having a dedicated equipment for learning by themselves under the constant monitoring of a teacher.

Each booth has a Computer Monitor that shows the wave pattern of the student’s speech on screen along with a pre-recorded or online teacher’s speech wave pattern. Students can then keep on practicing until he/she improves to bring his/her speech wave pattern nearest to the wave pattern of the teacher. The teacher can hear student’s voice by selecting the particular student’s microphone and the teacher can ask the student to watch and improve his/her lip version by seeing the lip version of the teacher on the class - room TV screen. Students also have the facility of calling the teachers attention by pressing the call button on his/her booth. The student’s booth also has headphones with volume control for listening to their respective sound levels. 

In this Hearing Impaired Language Laboratory the Teacher’s panel has the facility to send the audio signal (Audio speech) to all the student booths simultaneously with a video camera facility for showing the lip and body stress movements on the TV screen of the classroom. The teacher can also transfer the video signals to a computer monitor attached to the system. The teacher’s panel controls the switching of the student’s booth equipment. The teacher can send the audio signal of his/her own voice or any other Audio equipment like a cassette tape recorder cum radio or audio CD through a computer directly to the headphone of students or on the common classroom speaker and simultaneously send the visuals on TV.

Each Student booth has an Audio spectrum-viewing device on which he/she can view the Audio spectrum of the teacher and his/her own voice simultaneously for comparing the stress points. The student can record a 12 second speech on his/her device fixed in the booth and can view and listen repeatedly for improving his/her own speech by an on line feed back. The 12 second recorder also serves the purpose of fast and perfect speech and word cramming.

Student’s booth also has two Audio Barographs to view the sound intensity (sound pressure) of his/her voice as compared to the teacher’s voice.

These booths have an Acrylic Sheet & a Mirror in front of the student who can also view his/her lip movement in the mirror vis-a-vis the teachers lip movement on the TV screen or directly. Such a comparison would aid in improving the students lip movement. The above Hearing impaired language laboratory will be very useful for improving the talking skills, lesson grasping and cramming power of the speech & hearing impaired through a self assertive learning device.

We hope this new system of learning would prove to be a pleasurable experience for the speech & hearing impaired and would be a novel way of studying for the speech & hearing impaired.

This is the second major project undertaken by the Brethren of Lodge Fellowship No. 140, Ahmedabad who had earlier developed & installed the world’s first Computerized Braille Language Laboratory at Blind Peoples Association, Ahmedabad, for which the Hon. President of India gave an award as an innovative invention. 

The Hearing impaired laboratory was inaugurated by M.W. Bro. Arun Chintopanth, O.S.M., M.W. The Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free & Accepted Masons of India, in the presence of R.W. The R.G.M. of W.I., R.W. Bro. Vasudev J. Masurekar and other Sr. Officers from the Grand Lodge of India and Regional Grand Lodge of Western India on 12th March 2006 at Umang Education & Research Centre for the Hearing Impaired., Ellisbridge Municipal School No. 12 Building, Fatehnagar, Paldi, Ahmedabad – 380007.

12th March 2006
A festive air was prevalent at Umang School for the Hearing Impaired since morning as ‘the first of its kind in the country’ Lab for the hearing & speech impaired aptly named “Lodge Fellowship Lab for the Hearing & Speech Impaired” was to be formally inaugurated by M.W. The Grand Master of The Grand Lodge of India, M.W. Bro. Arun Chintopanth. This lab was the second major project undertaken by the brethren of Lodge Fellowship for the lesser abled after the grand success of setting up the world’s first Computerized Braille Language Lab.

M.W. The Grand Master, M.W. Bro. Arun Chintopanth, accompanied by M.W. The Past Grand Master, M.W. Bro. Dilip Udeshi, R.W. The Regional Grand Master, R.W. Bro. Vasudev Masurekar, R.W. Bro. Adi Vakil, R.W. Bro. Meher Gimi, W.Bro. Tushar Zaveri, visitors from Lodges of Baroda & Rajkot along with the W.M. & Brethren & Ladies of Lodge Fellowship reached Umang School sharp at 10 am. Mrs. Brinda Nanavati, the founder of Umang School welcomed them & took them on a brief tour of the school & explained the various activities being run for the hearing & speech impaired. She then introduced Mr. Bhaskar Mehta, Commissioner of Disabilities, Gujarat State as also Mr. S.N. Jha the inventor of the Lab to M.W. The Grand Master.

The function began with a solemn silent prayer rendered by the hearing & speech impaired school children in sign language, which brought tears to the eyes of the audience. The audience aptly applauded the beautiful gesture of the children. The prayer having ended the proud moment arrived. M.W. The Grand Master unveiled the plaque of “Lodge Fellowship Lab for The Hearing & Speech Impaired” amidst a big applause and later together with R.W. Bro. Vasudev Masurekar cut the ribbon thus setting into motion the dream project of the Brethren of Lodge Fellowship. Inside the Lab, W.Bro. Rajiv Sethi formally introduced Mr. S.N. Jha to the audience and thanked him for having devised the Lab for Lodge Fellowship and requested him to give a demonstration of the Lab. It was a touching moment to see the young hearing & speech impaired children sitting behind the monitors with their headphones and enthusiastically trying to repeat the words being spoken by their teacher & trying to match their sound waves with those of the teachers. A new era for the teaching of hearing & speech impaired had just begun. Mrs. Nanavati informed the audience that this was a unique concept, the first of its kind in the world and profusely thanked the Brethren of Lodge Fellowship for undertaking the setting up of this Lab.

After a brief interview to the press & electronic media, M.W. The Grand Master accompanied by R.W. The Regional Grand Master was escorted to the dais. Mrs. Brinda Nanavati formally welcomed them and beautiful gifts made by the Hearing & Speech Impaired were presented to all the Grand Lodge & Regional Grand Lodge Officers. Mrs. Brinda Nanavati then gave a visual presentation of the wonderful work being done by the school in the field of hearing & speech impaired which was acclaimed. W.Bro. Rajiv Sethi then requested R.W. The Regional Grand Master to address the audience. R.W. Bro. Masurekar lauded the efforts of the Brethren of Lodge Fellowship in undertaking such unique projects and mentioned that he was visibly moved by the wonderful work undertaken by the Umang School. M.W. The Grand Master then addressed the audience and congratulated Mrs. Nanavati for her efforts in the field of hearing & speech impaired. He also congratulated Mr. Jha for his innovative ideas in the field of visually impaired as also hearing & speech impaired. M.W. The Grand Master expressed his desire to set up such labs across the country and assured that efforts would be made to highlight this achievement so that Freemasons across the country get to know about the unique project implemented by the Brethren of Lodge Fellowship.

Mr. Bhaskar Mehta, Commissioner of Disabilities, Gujarat State, himself a visually impaired person then addressed the audience and thanked M.W. The Grand Master for rendering a beautiful oration. He too thanked the brethren and hoped that more such organizations would come forward to work for the lesser abled.

Last but not the least it was the turn of Mr. S.N. Jha, who appreciated the efforts of the brethren of Lodge Fellowship in having trust in him and taking up such risky projects which even the government would think twice over. He acknowledged that whatever he had achieved was because of the brethren of Lodge Fellowship and graciously offered to donate 25% of any future award money that he would receive for this Lab to Lodge Fellowship for their charitable activities and 25% to Umang School. The audience applauded his generous gesture.

A vote of thanks was later given by W.Bro. Ratan Vadvan, W.M. of Lodge Fellowship who thanked M.W. The Grand Master, R.W. The Regional Grand Master and the officers of the G.L.I. & R.G.L. of W.I. as also all the brethren & ladies present for their support and presence.

The guests were then treated to tea & snacks by the staff of Umang School.

Lunch was organized by the Brethren of Lodge Fellowship at “Vishala” which was attended by a good number of ladies & brethren where a lot of informal discussion took place in the serene surroundings with M.W. The Grand Master & R.W. The Regional Grand Master of W.I.

On the way to the airport M.W. The Grand Master expressed his desire to visit the Masonic Temple where he was escorted by The W.M., W.Bro. Ratan Vadvan, Bro. Samir Desai & W.Bro. Rajiv Sethi.