International Day of Sign Languages on September 23rd recognizes the importance of language through signing. According to the UN, early access to sign language is vital to the growth and development of deaf individuals. The day takes place during International Deaf Week in the last week of September.
According to the World Health Organization, 466 million people around the world have disabling hearing loss. For some of these people, hearing aids and other assistive devices help improve their hearing. However, in some instances, the type and severity of hearing loss prevent any benefit from hearing aids. Others don’t have access to hearing aids. For these people, sign language is the only way to communicate. Because of this, sign languages is considered just as important as a spoken language.
The UN recognizes that sign language is a human right for the deaf. Every deaf person in every country should have access to learning it.
The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) first requested an international day to recognize the importance of sign languages. On December 19, 2017, the United Nations passed the resolution and declared September 23rd International Day of Sign Languages. This date commemorates the establishment of WFD in 1951. The first International Day of Sign Languages was observed in 2018 under the theme, “With Sign Language, Everyone is Included!”
The 2021 theme, declared by the World Federation of the Deaf, is “We Sign For Human Rights,” highlighting how each of us – deaf and hearing people around the world – can work together hand in hand to promote the recognition of our right to use sign languages in all areas of life.
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