International Day of Sign Languages being observed today

Geneva: The International Day of Sign Languages is being observed on Friday to raise awareness about the importance of sign language.

This year, the theme for the day is "sign languages unite us".

The day is observed to protect the linguistic identity of people who are deaf and others who use sign language.

The UN General Assembly has proclaimed 23 September as the International Day of Sign Languages in order to raise awareness of the importance of sign language in the full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf.

The International Day of Sign Languages was first celebrated in 2018 as part of the International Week of the Deaf.

The International Week of the Deaf was first celebrated in September 1958 and has since evolved into a global movement of deaf unity and concerted advocacy to raise awareness of the issues deaf people face in their everyday lives.