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International Day of Sign Languages 2025
What’s the News?
- The International Day of Sign Languages is observed annually on September 23, coinciding with the founding date of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) in 1951.
- In 2017, the United Nations General Assembly declared this day to raise awareness about the importance of sign languages in realizing the human rights of Deaf individuals.
- The 2025 theme is “No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights”, emphasizing the necessity of sign language for full participation and dignity of the Deaf community.
Theme Overview
- “No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights” underscores that:
- Sign language is a fundamental human right.
- Without access to sign language, Deaf individuals are denied opportunities in education, employment, healthcare, and social participation.
- Recognizing sign language rights ensures equality, dignity, and inclusion for all.
Additional Info
- International Day of Sign Languages:
- History: Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2017 to raise awareness about the importance of sign language for the human rights of deaf people.
- Date Significance: The date, September 23, commemorates the founding of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) in 1951.
- Global Context: The day is part of the International Week of the Deaf, which is observed annually during the last full week of September.
- Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC):
- Establishment: An autonomous body under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
- Mandate: Works to develop and promote Indian Sign Language (ISL) and train sign language interpreters. It has developed the official Indian Sign Language Dictionary, with over 10,000 terms.
- Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD):
- Role: The UN convention, which India ratified in 2007, recognizes and promotes the use of sign languages as equal to spoken languages.
- Principle: It obligates states to facilitate the learning of sign language and promote the linguistic identity of the deaf community.
- ISL is Not Universal: There is no single universal sign language. There are over 300 distinct sign languages globally, each with its own grammar and vocabulary.