The motive behind the establishment of the United Nations in the last century also includes striving for social development and better living standards for all types of people in the world. For this, the United Nations celebrates many international days. One of these is the International Day of Sign Languages which is celebrated every year on 23 September. It was established by the World Federation of Deaf. Millions of people in the world are deprived of hearing ability or very weak, due to which they have to struggle a lot in their personal life. The sign language created for them also works to unite all the people.
The hard and struggling life of the deaf
The main work of this day is to make people aware of sign language. There are about 72 million deaf people in the world, but the general public does not understand sign language for these people, due to which the daily struggle of deaf people becomes more difficult. That is why the purpose of this day is to encourage people to have at least basic knowledge of sign language.
Such languages were also in use long ago
Although there is evidence of the use of sign language before 500 BC, but the first alphabet of modern sign language was published by Charles-Michel d’Alpe of France. This alphabet is being used to date. In 1755 the Abbey d’Alpe opened the first school for the deaf in Paris, and Laurent Cleric was recognized as its famous graduate.
Why only 23 September?
Cleric moved to America and opened the first deaf school with Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet in 1817. Then in 1857 Gallaudet’s son Edward Minor Gallaudet opened a school for the deaf in Washington DC, which became the National College of the Deaf in 1864. After this, the World Federation for the Deaf was established on 23 September 1951. In the year 2017, the United Nations decided that International Sign Language Day will be celebrated every year on 23 September and it is being celebrated since 2018.
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