Islamabad, Sep 23: On Monday, people all around the world will commemorate the International Day of Sign Languages in an effort to promote sign language’s value and the deaf community’s cultural identity.
In 2018, the United Nations General Assembly instituted the day with the aim of upholding and advocating for the rights of individuals who are hard of hearing. The subject for this year is “Sign up for Sign Language Rights,” which calls on international leaders to formally acknowledge and advance sign language rights in their own nations.
To demonstrate solidarity for the deaf community, government leaders are urged by the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) to sign this year’s theme in their native sign languages.
The International Day of Sign Languages was suggested by the WFD, which, through its 135 national associations, represents almost 70 million deaf people worldwide. The day was first observed in 2018 as a part of the International Week of the Deaf, an annual event that takes place from September 24 to September 30 and was started in 1958.
