International Day of Sign Languages 2026 focuses on human rights

The International Day of Sign Languages is observed on September 23, 2026, as part of the International Week of the Deaf. The theme for this year is ‘Declaring Deaf People’s Human Rights,’ which serves as a call to action to ensure the rights of deaf individuals are respected across all aspects of life, specifically through full access to communication via national sign languages.

According to the United Nations and the World Federation of the Deaf, there are over 70 million deaf people globally, with more than 80% residing in developing nations. There are over 300 different sign languages in use worldwide; these are natural languages with unique structures that are distinct from spoken languages, meaning there is no single universal sign language.