International Day of Sign Languages

In News 

• International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) is celebrated annually across the world on 23 September. 
  • The Theme of the year 2022 is “Sign Language Unite Us.”

International Day of Sign Languages

• About:
  • In 2017, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed September 23 as the official day to celebrate the International Day of Sign Languages. The date commemorates the establishment of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD)  in 1951.
  • It was subsequently first celebrated in 2018 as part of the International Week of the Deaf.
    • The International Week of the Deaf was first celebrated in September 1958 to raise awareness of the issues deaf people face in their everyday lives.
• Objective: 
  • To protect the linguistic identity and cultural diversity of all deaf people and other sign language users.
• Sign languages:
  • Sign languages are fully fledged natural languages – structurally distinct from the spoken languages – that use gestures or symbols to communicate.
  • There is also an ‘International Sign Language’, which is used by deaf people in international meetings and informally when travelling and socializing.
  • The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes and promotes the use of sign languages.

Need of Sign Languages

• According to the World Federation of the Deaf, there are more than 70 million deaf people worldwide. 
• As per the 2011 Census, the total population of deaf persons in India numbered about 50 lakh.

Initiatives by Government of India

• Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 recognizes Sign Language as a means of communication.
• Realising the importance of Sign language the Government of India has set up the ISLRTC(Indian Sign Language Research and Training Center) in 2015.
  • Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC), New Delhi is an autonomous body under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• The New Education Policy 2020, standardised the sign language across the country. 

Source:Newsonair