March 29, 2024

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Governments should promote sign languages to ensure access to information among deaf people

As countries join hands to celebrate the International Day of Sign Languages on 23 September 2019, governments are urged to remember their obligation to ensure deaf people are able to access schools, jobs, medical treatment, and other services, and fully support their equal inclusion in society.

According to the World Federation of the Deaf, there are approximately 72 million deaf people worldwide. More than 80% of them live in developing countries. Collectively, they use more than 300 different sign languages.

Sign language allows them to learn, work, access services, and be included in their communities.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities calls on states to accept, facilitate, and promote the use of sign languages with the goal to ensure that people with disabilities can enjoy their rights on an equal basis with others.

Human Rights Watch research around the world finds deaf people often struggle to access basic services.

The organization documented cases of deaf children in countries like NepalChina and northern Uganda who were denied their right to education in sign language. In other countries many deaf people found living in institutions spend their lives without being able to meaningfully communicate because they were never taught how to sign.

The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres said the “International Day of Sign Languages recognizes the importance of sign languages for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and fulfilling its core promise of leaving no one behind. It also offers an opportunity to support and protect the linguistic identity and cultural diversity of all sign language users.”

The UN General Assembly has proclaimed 23 September as the International Day of Sign Languages in order to raise awareness of the importance of sign language in the full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf.

The first International Day of Sign languages was celebrated in 2018 under the theme “With Sign Language, Everyone is Included!

 

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