Dawn of New Era (1977)

With the unification of Deaf & Dumb Association, Delhi (1950) and New Delhi Deaf & Dumb Club (1961), both registered separately under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860, a new era dawned in deaf welfare. A new unified Association under the name and style of Delhi Association of the Deaf was formed in 1977 and registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.

Though unified on paper, hearts and minds did not readily unite. The umbical ties and loyalty to all India bodies where power and wealth were centred, pulled concerned people in different directions. This continued till 1985 when it was cut off.

During the years 1977-85, the contribution made by the two of its Chairperson/Chairman Mrs. Chander Batra and Shri Ashok Gahlot, then an M.P. from Jodhpur, Rajasthan and subsequently a Member of Union Council of Ministers (Former Chief Minister Rajasthan), stand out.

Mrs. Chander Batra ( 1977-79 )
A committed social worker and the moving force behind Delhi Society for Child Welfare and Hospital Welfare Society, she adopted the Association as her own and devoted her time and resources to advance its cause. Collecting funds was her forte. She supervised activities ranging from sports and games to welfare, personally interacted with the officialdom and played an important role in getting land allotted to the Association for its Research & Rehabilitation Centre for the Deaf. Her major contribution was successful organization of the 1st India-Australia Cricket Test of the Deaf at New Delhi.

Shri Ashok Gahlot (1983-84)
He remained with the Association only for a short period but still managed to leave an imprint of his personality. He prepared the ground for hosting X National Games of the Deaf by the Association on a lavish scale but the sad and dastardly assassination of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India, led to the abandonment of the programme.