International Day of Sign Languages 2021: Complete details of Theme, quotes, history and importance

The International Day of Sign Languages is observed on September 23 every year. The day aims to raise awareness about the importance of sign languages “in the full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf”, according to the United Nations.

September 23 commemorates the date that the World Federation of the Deaf (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.

There are more than 70 million deaf people around the world and they use more than 300 different sign languages.

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International Day of Sign Languages 2021 theme:

The World Federation of the Deaf declared the International Day of Sign Languages 2021 theme as “We Sign for Human Rights.” It highlights how everyone – deaf and hearing people – can work together to promote the recognition of the right to use sign languages in all areas of life.

Here are some International Day of Sign Languages quotes to share:

• “Sign language is the equal of speech, lending itself equally to the rigorous and the poetic, to philosophical analysis or to making love.” – Oliver Sacks.

• “If you are to reach masses of people in this world, you must do it by a sign language. Whether your vehicle is commerce, literature, or politics, you can do nothing but raise signals, and make motions to the people.” – John Jay Chapman.

• “I come from a place where you don’t need to talk all the time. There are sign languages you learn.” – Warwick Thornton.

• “Sign language is the noblest gift God has given to deaf people.” – George Veditz

• “Human eyes are the sign language of the brain. If you watch them carefully, you can see the truth played out, raw and unguarded.” – Tarryn Fisher.

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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN SIGN LANGUAGE

Indian Sign Language (ISL) has developed over the past century and taught since 2001. As per BBC, about 700 Indian schools teach sign language. ISL has its unique grammar and gestures, but there are some regional differences. It was Sibaji Panda, a deaf teacher, who created and introduced the first-ever formal training course in ISL at the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities (AYJNISHD), in 2001.

Panda is the founding member of the Indian Sign Language Teacher’s Association (ISLTA) and the Indian Sign language Interpreter’s Association (ISLIA). In 2011, the Indian Ministry of Social justice and Empowerment helped set up the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). This centre, however, was shut down and re-established in 2015 as a Society under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment’s (MSJE) Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.

Importance of INDIAN SIGN LANGUAGE

There is a general lack of awareness in India about sign languages, even among members of the deaf community. Many parents do not know how to communicate with their deaf children. Often, deaf people are ridiculed or ignored by others who can hear.

Learning ISL will bridge these gaps and create sensitivity towards the deaf community and their culture. At present, there are less than 300 ISL certified interpreters, and more are urgently needed. ISL visual dictionaries are also available to help us learn the language better.