International Day of Sign Languages 2023

International Day of Sign Languages 2023

International Day of Sign Languages is celebrated every year on 23 September. The day aims to support the linguistic identity of the hearing-impaired community and others who use them for communication.

International Day of Sign Languages Theme 2023 This year's International Day of Sign Languages in 2023 is being celebrated with the theme "A World where Deaf People Everywhere Can Sign Anywhere".



What are sign languages?

Sign languages are those that use a visual-manual method to convey meaning. The United Nations (UN) describes sign languages as entirely natural languages, which are structurally different from spoken languages.

Unlike spoken languages, sign languages are completely natural languages. Deaf people also use a cosmopolitan version of sign language known as International Sign Language during cross-border travel and conversation.

It is considered a pidgin sign language that is less sophisticated than natural sign languages and has a limited vocabulary.


Importance of International Sign Language Day

International Sign Language Day aims to raise awareness about the importance of sign language. The resolution that established the day recognizes the importance of preserving sign languages as a part of linguistic and cultural diversity.


History of International Sign Language Day

September 23 was chosen to celebrate International Day of Sign Languages because this day marked the anniversary of the formation of the World Union of the Deaf in 1951. The day was first observed in 2018 as part of the International Week of the Deaf.


According to data from the World Federation of the Deaf, there are approximately 70 million deaf people in the world. More than 80 percent of them live in developing countries. They collectively use over 300 distinct sign languages. Let us tell you that sign language is accepted and encouraged by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Convention emphasized that sign languages have equal status to spoken languages and that governments should support sign language education and the linguistic identity of the deaf community.

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