International Day of Sign Languages is observed annually on September 23, along with the celebrations of International Week of the Deaf. It was first celebrated in 1958 and has since evolved into a global movement for deaf unity, one that focuses on raising awareness about the importance of sign language as a means of communication and in ‘full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf,’ according to the United Nations.
The World Federation of the Deaf first made the proposal for this day on December 19, 2017. September 23 is in itself a significant date as it marks the day the World Federation of the Deaf was first established in 1951. This day is particularly significant as it presents the opportunity to ‘support and protect the linguistic identity and cultural diversity of all deaf people and other sign language users.’ According to data…