New Delhi: Every year on September 23, International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) is celebrated all over the world along with International Week of the Deaf. The day provides us with a unique opportunity to support and protect deaf people’s linguistic identity and cultural diversity and those of other sign language users. The day highlights the importance of sign languages and how everyone needs to know about them. In this article, we will take a look at the history and significance of sign languages.
International Day of Sign Languages: How did it originate?
The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) proposed the establishment of an International Day of Sign Languages. It is a federation of 135 national associations of deaf people and it represents the human rights of around 70 million deaf people all over the world. On December 19, 2017, the United Nations General Assembly declared September 23 as the International Day of Sign Languages.
Notably, it was on the same day in 1951 that the World Federation of the Deaf was established. In 2018, the International Day of Sign Languages was first celebrated with the International Week of the Deaf. The latter was first celebrated in September 1958 and has become a global movement that works to raise awareness of the issues that deaf people face every day.
International Day of Sign Languages: What is the significance of the day?
The WFD states that over 70 million people all over the world are deaf and over 80 per cent of them live in developing countries. They use, in total, over 300 different sign languages. It must be noted that sign languages are natural languages and are different from spoken languages. Also, there is an international sign language that deaf people use in international meetings and at other gatherings. It is not as complex as natural sign languages.
The day promotes the use of sign languages and aims to make people aware that they are equal in status to spoken languages. It highlights the need for the state parties to learn sign language and promote the deaf community’s linguistic identity. The day raises awareness of the sign language’s importance. Also, it acknowledges that for the growth of deaf people, they should have early access to sign language and services in that language including quality education. The day promotes the importance of preserving sign languages as part of linguistic and cultural diversity.
What is the theme this year?
The theme of this year’s International Day of Sign Languages is Sign up for Sign Language Rights. The theme highlights the unity generated by sign languages. On this day, the leaders of the countries should sign this year’s theme in their national sign language.
The day provides us with a unique opportunity to support and protect deaf people’s linguistic identity and cultural diversity and those of other sign language users. The day highlights the importance of sign language. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
