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International Day of Sign Languages2029 Countdown
Sunday, September 23, 2029
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About International Day of Sign Languages
The International Day of Sign Languages is a United Nations observance held every year on September 23 to celebrate sign languages as full, natural languages with their own grammar, vocabulary, and regional flair. It was established by a 2017 UN General Assembly resolution and deliberately shares its date with the founding of the World Federation of the Deaf in 1951.
More than seventy million deaf people worldwide use sign language, and over three hundred distinct sign languages exist. None are simply coded versions of a spoken language; American Sign Language and British Sign Language, for example, are mutually unintelligible despite being used in countries that share English. Recognizing this linguistic diversity matters because deaf children denied early access to sign language often struggle with language development overall.
The day closes the International Week of Deaf People, a September campaign organized by the World Federation of the Deaf. Each year carries a theme such as sign language rights or deaf leadership, and events range from government commitments to school workshops, interpreted performances, and social media challenges that teach a new sign to curious beginners.
History of International Day of Sign Languages
Deaf communities had fought for linguistic recognition long before the UN weighed in. Sign languages flourished in deaf schools and clubs, yet for much of the twentieth century many institutions suppressed signing in favor of oralism, the practice of forcing speech and lip-reading, which left generations of deaf students linguistically deprived. The World Federation of the Deaf, founded in Rome on September 23, 1951, became the movement's global voice and now represents associations in more than one hundred thirty countries. Advocacy gained legal ground as countries recognized their national sign languages in law, and momentum led the UN General Assembly to proclaim the International Day of Sign Languages in a resolution adopted in December 2017. The first observance followed in 2018 and has grown every year since.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- When is International Day of Sign Languages?
- The International Day of Sign Languages falls every year on September 23, a date chosen to honor the founding of the World Federation of the Deaf in 1951.
- Is International Day of Sign Languages a public holiday?
- No. It is a United Nations observance, not a public holiday. Governments, schools, and businesses continue normal operations, though many hold awareness activities during the International Week of Deaf People.
- How do people celebrate International Day of Sign Languages?
- People celebrate by learning basic signs, attending deaf-led events, watching interpreted performances, and sharing resources about the world's more than three hundred sign languages.
- How many sign languages exist?
- Over three hundred, each with its own grammar and vocabulary. They are not universal, and they differ even between countries that share a spoken language.