International Day of Sign Languages 2026: 'Declaring Deaf People's Human Rights' Theme, History and Key Facts

Key facts

• The International Day of Sign Languages is observed every year on September 23 to raise awareness about the importance of sign languages in ensuring the full realisation of the human rights of Deaf people.
• The theme for International Day of Sign Languages 2026 is 'Declaring Deaf People's Human Rights', calling for recognition, protection and promotion of Deaf people's rights, including full access through national sign languages.
• In 2026, the day marks the 75th anniversary of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) and 20 years since the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
• The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed September 23 as the International Day of Sign Languages through Resolution A/RES/72/161, adopted by consensus on December 19, 2017, on a proposal from the World Federation of the Deaf co-sponsored by 97 UN Member States.
• September 23 was chosen because it marks the date when the World Federation of the Deaf was established in 1951.
• The first International Day of Sign Languages was observed in 2018 as part of the International Week of the Deaf, which dates back to September 1958.
• The World Federation of the Deaf is observing the International Week of Deaf People from September 21 to 27, 2026, with daily themes including inclusive education, accessibility, Deaf culture and participation.
• The UN describes sign languages as fully fledged natural languages, structurally distinct from spoken languages, with more than 300 different sign languages used by Deaf communities worldwide.
• Indian Sign Language (ISL) is a visual-manual language with its own vocabulary and grammar, as described by the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) under the Government of India, which offers a basic self-learning course covering greetings, introductions, commonly used words, grammar and situation-based conversations.