International Day of Sign Languages 2026: Theme, History and Significance

The International Day of Sign Languages is celebrated every year on 23 September, highlighting the importance of sign languages in guaranteeing the full realization of the human rights of deaf people. The theme of the year 2026 is “Declaring Deaf People’s Human Rights.” The theme revolves around recognizing, respecting, and promoting the rights of Deaf people including the right to access information, education, public services, and participation in their national sign languages. The year 2026 is also important because it will be the 75th anniversary of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD).

Theme of International Day of Sign Languages 2026

The theme of the year 2026, “Declaring Deaf People’s Human Rights,” encourages making human rights a reality for deaf people in all aspects of their lives.

This theme emphasizes the connection between sign language access and,

• Inclusive education
• Health care and public services
• Workplace and information
• Social and political participation
• Deaf culture and language

World Federation of the Deaf is celebrating the International Week of Deaf People from September 21 to 27, 2026, with themes related to accessibility, education, Deaf culture and participation.

History of the International Day of Sign Languages

International Day of Sign Languages has been declared by the United Nations General Assembly in Resolution A/RES/72/161, adopted on 19 December 2017.

The initiative for the resolution has come from the World Federation of the Deaf and the resolution has received the co-sponsorship from 97 UN Member States.

The date 23rd September has been chosen as it is the day when the World Federation of the Deaf was established in 1951. The first International Day of Sign Languages was observed in 2018 during the International Week of the Deaf, which was established in 1958.

Importance of Sign Languages

Sign languages are fully fledged natural languages and they have linguistic structures of their own. They are not merely a set of gestures that translate spoken languages.

There are more than 300 sign languages used in the Deaf communities across the world. UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognises and promotes the use of sign languages and encourages efforts that assist in learning sign languages.

What is Indian Sign Language?

Indian Sign Language (ISL) is a form of visual-manual language that is spoken among the Deaf community in India. According to the Indian Sign Language Research & Training Centre (ISLRTC), ISL is a language that has its own vocabulary and grammatical system.

ISL can also be acquired by the family members, teachers, interpreters and professionals working in the public sector to facilitate better communication.