- 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.
- The proposal for the Day came from the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), a federation of 135 national associations of deaf people, representing approximately 70 million deaf people’s human rights worldwide.
- The resolution to the effect was adopted by consensus on 19 December 2017.
- The choice of 23 September commemorates the date that the WFD was established in 1951.
- The International Day of Sign Languages was first celebrated in 2018 as part of the International Week of the Deaf.
- For the year 2020, the World Federation of the Deaf has issued a ‘Global Leaders Challenge’, which is being organised to promote the use of sign language by locals, national and global leaders who are in partnerships with national association of deaf people in each country.
