International Day of Sign Languages

International Day of Sign Languages ​​is held every year on September 23rd. The event was founded by the UN on the day when, in 1951, the World Deaf Community was founded. The first holiday was celebrated in 2017. According to statistics, there are about 72 million people on the planet who are unable to hear; they use approximately 300 different languages ​​​​to communicate.

History

This day encourages us to pay special attention to sign languages. They are as significant as ordinary, spoken languages. When a deaf person travels and meets foreigners, he switches to a special international version, which consists of gestures known throughout the world. The total number of gestural modes of communication is currently unknown, and the oldest of them dates back to the 15th century BC.

Interesting Facts

• Socrates spoke about the gesture method of communication as follows: “If a person did not have the opportunity to speak, he would try to express his thoughts with gestures using his hands, or other parts of the body.”
• The founder of the first alphabet for deaf and mute people was Pedro Ponce de Leon.
• Each holiday has its own motto.
• Different states use different methods of communication. In addition, there are regional differences.
• In addition to hand gestures, a person uses facial expressions.

How to take part

Learn sign language, it’s really easy. You can find dedicated learning resources on the Internet. Think how wonderful it would be to understand people who are unable to speak. Teach others sign language. Organize a fundraiser for people who are unable to speak.

When is International Day of Sign Languages in 2023?

International Day of Sign Languages is observed on September 23 each year.

Observations