On September 23rd, YES celebrated International Day of Sign Languages. Instituted by the United Nations, this holiday celebrates cultural diversity among users of the 300 sign languages around the world and promotes the human rights of the deaf community. The holiday also recognizes the importance of raising awareness and improving deaf access to education for the achievement of global development goals.

YES alumni sent in videos of themselves signing in a variety of languages to recognize and raise awareness of sign languages around the world. Watch the video below to see their submissions!

According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, sign languages are fully-fledged natural languages equal in status to spoken languages. The convention compels states to create opportunities for sign language learning and support the linguistic identity of the deaf community. 

This year's celebration of International Day of Sign Languages falls shortly after the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act. The YES program celebrated this anniversary with a week of workshops on the film Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution. To learn more about this program or about the YES Program’s ongoing efforts to promote accessibility and disability rights worldwide, visit our ADA 30th Anniversary Story category.

#ADA30 #AccessForAll