International Day of Sign Languages 2021: The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) estimates that there are around 72 million deaf people across the world, using over 300 different sign languages.
The United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities gives these languages equal status to spoken languages.
The UN International Day of Sign Languages on 23 September celebrates the linguistic identity and diversity of deaf people and sign language users across the world. The International Day of Sign Languages has been a part of the WFD’s International Week of the Deaf since 2018. The International Week of the Deaf was established in 1958 to celebrate deaf communities, including deaf people, their families, sign language interpreters and other stakeholders, such as human rights and disability organisations.
The theme for the 2020 International Day of Sign Languages is ‘Sign Languages are for Everyone!’. As part of the day, the WFD is launching a Global Leaders Challenge, asking government officials, members of parliament, regional councillors and other leaders to submit videos of themselves using their national sign language. The challenge will enable national associations of deaf people to work together with their political leaders to promote sign languages. Videos can be submitted to the WFD and will be released on its website and on social media on 23 September.
International Day of Sign Languages 2021: Theme ‘We Sign For Human Rights’
The theme for International Day of Sign Languages 2021 is “We Sign For Human Rights”. It highlights how each of us deaf and hearing people across the world can work together hand in hand to promote the recognition of our right to use sign languages in all areas of life, as per the UN.
International Day of Sign Languages 2021: Background
The proposal for the Day came from the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), a federation of 135 national associations of deaf people, representing approximately 70 million deaf people’s human rights worldwide. The resolution A/RES/72/161 was sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations, co-sponsored by 97 United Nations Member States and adopted by consensus on 19 December 2017.
The choice of 23 September commemorates the date that the WFD was established in 1951. This day marks the birth of an advocacy organisation, which has as one of its main goals, the preservation of sign languages and deaf culture as pre-requisites to the realisation of the human rights of deaf people.
The International Day of Sign Languages was first celebrated in 2018 as part of the International Week of the Deaf.
The International Week of the Deaf was first celebrated in September 1958 and has since evolved into a global movement of deaf unity and concerted advocacy to raise awareness of the issues deaf people face in their everyday lives.
International Day of Sign Languages: History
The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) has proposed the Day. The federation has 135 national associations of deaf people that represent approximately 70 million deaf people’s human rights worldwide. Permanent Mission of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations-sponsored resolution A/RES/72/161 and co-sponsored by 97 United Nations Member States. It was adopted by consensus on 19 December, 2017.
Why is 23rd September chosen as International Day of Sign Languages?
23rd September is chosen as the International Day of Sign Languages because on this date World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) was established in 1951. The day marks the birth of an advocacy organisation. One of the main goals is to preserve sign languages and deaf culture as pre-requisites to the realisation of the human rights of deaf people.
In 2018, the International Day of Sign Languages was first celebrated as part of the International Week of the Deaf. And the International Week of the Deaf was first celebrated in September 1958. Since then it evolved into a global movement of deaf unity and concerted advocacy to spread awareness about the issues of deaf people that they face in their everyday lives.
What are Sign languages?
Sign language is any means of communication through bodily movements, mainly those of the hands and arms. It is used when spoken communication is not possible or not desirable.
Or we can say that they are fully-fledged natural languages, structurally different from spoken languages. For the deaf people, there is also an international sign language, which is used by them in international meetings and informally via travelling and socialising. It is expressed as a pidgin form of sign language. It is not as complex as natural sign language and has a limited lexicon.
The use of sign languages has been recognised and promoted by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). That is, sign languages are equal in status to spoken language and obligates states parties to facilitate the learning of sign language and promote the linguistic identity of the deaf community.
International Day of Sign Languages: Some Facts
As per the World Federation of the Deaf:
- Approximately 72 million deaf people are there worldwide.
- More than 80% of them are living in developing countries.
- Collectively, they use more than 300 different sign languages.
