The United Nations General Assembly declared September 23 as the International Day of Sign Languages. The day is recognized as such to raise awareness about the importance of sign language around the world. It was first celebrated in 2018. The particular date was chosen because it is the same day that the World Federation of the Deaf was established in 1951.
Significance of the day
According to the World Federation of the Deaf, there are approximately 72 million deaf people around the world. Around 80 per cent reside in developing countries, and collectively, they use over 300 different sign languages.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes the importance of sign languages. Sign languages have been accorded equal status as any other spoken language, and the day helps to promote this. According to the United Nations, it “promotes the linguistic identity of the deaf community.”
The day plays an important role in preserving the rights of the deaf community. It seeks to maintain the status of sign languages as playing an intrinsic role in the world’s linguistic and cultural diversity,
The UN resolution behind the anointing of the day emphasizes the importance of good education in sign language, as it is vital to the growth and development of deaf individuals.
History of sign languages
There are many sign languages around the world. Usually, every place has its own native sign language with its own special lexicon. Many countries have more than one sign language. One of the earliest records of sign language is from the fifteenth century from Plato’s Cratylus. The first school for deaf children was founded in Paris by Abbé de l’Épée in 1755.
Today, an International Sign Language is used for international events. It mostly has a limited lexicon.
