ISLAMABAD  -  The International Day of Sign Languages is being celebrated globally on Monday to raise awareness about the importance of sign language and to advocate for the cultural identity of the deaf community.

Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018, this year’s theme, “Sign up for Sign Language Rights,” urges world leaders to officially recognize and promote sign language rights in their countries. The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), representing around 70 million deaf people worldwide, has called on officials to sign the theme in their national sign languages as a show of support.

The day was first celebrated in 2018 as part of the International Week of the Deaf, which is observed from September 24 to September 30 each year.