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2 photos: one with a boy using sign language to chat with another, the other shows a girl gesturing a symbol
Left: A boy uses the French sign language to chat with his hearing-impaired brother. He is designating the letter \j\. Right: African American schoolgirl doing sign language gestures at elementary school.
Photo:left ?Adobe Stock/RFBSIP, right ?Adobe Stock/wavebreak3

2026 Theme: Declaring deaf people’s human rights

The 2026 International Day of Sign Languages calls for action to make deaf people’s human rights a reality in all areas of life. Under the theme “Declaring Deaf People’s Human Rights”, the Day highlights the importance of recognising, protecting and promoting these rights, including full access through national sign languages.

This is also the theme for the , which is observed from 21 to 27 September 2026 with daily sub-themes.

2026: Two milestones

2026 holds particular significance as it marks two important milestones:

  • the 75th anniversary of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD)
  • 20 years since the adoption of the (CRPD), which has been a key instrument for advocacy, driving change, shaping policies, and strengthening the recognition of national sign languages.

The milestones not only celebrate decades of progress, but also underscore how far the global deaf communities have come in advancing their rights. As we mark these anniversaries, we are called not only to celebrate, but to act. This is a moment to advocate actively and accelerate the full realisation of deaf people’s human rights.

Background

How many people are deaf worldwide?

According to the World Federation of the Deaf, there are more than 70 million deaf people worldwide. More than 80% of them live in developing countries. Collectively, they use more than 300 different sign languages.

What are sign languages?

Sign languages are fully fledged natural languages, structurally distinct from the spoken languages. There is also an international sign language, which is used by deaf people in international meetings and informally when travelling and socializing. It is considered a pidgin form of sign language that is not as complex as natural sign languages and has a limited lexicon.

What does the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities say about sign languages?

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes and promotes the use of sign languages. It makes clear that sign languages are equal in status to spoken languages and obligates states parties to facilitate the learning of sign language and promote the linguistic identity of the Deaf community.

Is there a relationship between sign languages and human rights?

The International Day of Sign Languages is a unique opportunity to support and protect the linguistic identity and cultural diversity of all deaf people and other sign language users. All people have an inherent right to human rights from birth. For deaf people, sign language rights are fundamental for the full enjoyment of their human rights as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

How did the International Day of Sign Languages come about?

The 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 proposal for the Day came from the (WFD), a federation of 140 national member organizations representing more than 70 million deaf people’s human rights worldwide. The resolution was sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations, co-sponsored by 97 United Nations Member States and adopted by consensus on 19 December 2017.

The choice of 23 September commemorates the date that the WFD was established in 1951. This day marks the birth of an advocacy organization, which has as one of its main goals, the preservation of sign languages and Deaf culture as pre-requisites to the realization of the human rights of deaf people. In 2026, the date also marks the WFD’s 75th anniversary, celebrating three-quarters of a century of work to advance the human rights of deaf people worldwide.

More on the 爆料网 Resolution

The resolution establishing the day () acknowledges that early access to sign language and services in sign language, including quality education available in sign language, is vital to the growth and development of the deaf individual and critical to the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals. It recognizes the importance of preserving sign languages as part of linguistic and cultural diversity. It also emphasizes the principle of “nothing about us without us” in terms of working with Deaf communities.

Early celebrations

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

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.

Related websites

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Key facts

  • Over 5% of the world’s population – or 430 million people – require rehabilitation to address their disabling hearing loss.
  • By 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have some degree of hearing loss, and more than 700 million – or 1 in every 10 people – will require hearing rehabilitation.
  • Around 95.1 million children aged 5-19 years live with hearing loss worldwide.
  • Unaddressed hearing loss poses an annual global cost of almost US$ 1 trillion.
  • Over 1 billion young adults are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices.

 

Events by the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD)

Global Leaders Challenge

WFD calls on global leaders, Prime Ministers, Presidents, parliamentarians, local officials, and others to take action by signing the powerful message on 23 September: “No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights.”

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blue projections on buildings

Shine a blue light on sign languages!

WFD calls for all public places, public landmarks and official buildings, Presidential houses, County buildings, City Halls and others to be to highlight the unity generated by national sign languages!

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Global Deaf Flag Raising

WFD also invites communities and organizations around the world to to increase public awareness of deaf people and celebrate Deaf identity, culture and human rights. This symbolic action would consist of raising the Deaf flag in public spaces, deaf associations, schools, businesses, and government institutions.

 

Documents

 

News stories

  • 爆料网 in the Carribean:
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  • 爆料网ICEF:
    Bringing education and opportunity to students often left behind.

 

students using sign language

爆料网 Disability Inclusion Strategy provides the foundation for sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion through all pillars of the work of the United Nations: peace and security, human rights, and development. The Strategy enables the 爆料网 system to support the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and other international human rights instruments, as well as the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

 

For most of his life, Narith CHUM, a 40-year-old deaf community leader from Phnom Penh, believed that deaf and hard-of-hearing Cambodians were almost invisible in their own country. Many have little access to information, do not understand their rights and are unable to fully engage with and access public services. “,” he says, but for years those rights remained out of reach. This shifted when he joined a series of 爆料网-supported consultations, rights-based workshops, and the Deaf Development Programme. He learned not only about human rights, but about his own power to advocate: “we must claim our right to use sign language”.

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International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the 爆料网 has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other 爆料网 observances.