“Deaf people all over the world are suffering injustices. This is because society believes deaf people – and sign languages – are inferior and don’t deserve equal rights. But we believe that no one should be abused, ignored, silenced or excluded just for being deaf.
A joint effort by International Day of Sign Language (IDSL) and International Week of the Deaf (IWDeaf) takes place once a year for one week to seek highly concerted global advocacy to raise awareness about the Deaf Community, sign languages and the rights of deaf individuals. The objective is to focus on gathering together, becoming united, and showing that unity to the rest of the world.”
Courtesy wfdeaf.org
Link to World Federation of the Deaf Website – https://wfdeaf.org/iwdeaf2018/
Link to the information and advocacy toolkit by WFD-https://2tdzpf2t7hxmggqhq3njno1y-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Toolkit-2018.pdf
To mark an end to this year’s International Week of the Deaf (IWDeaf), here’s something I think we all should watch, realize, and understand. Attached after this paragraph is a seven and a half minutes long video convincing enough for why Sign Language is important. I, a person without any kinds of hearing impairments, had to watch it whole without any sounds or even dialogues and trust me, I could feel how it may get annoying to a lot of people.
Have you ever wondered why you rarely get to see sign languages being used around you? Even in educational campuses where meets the so-called ‘educated class’. Provided the Sign Language is supposed to be common to people coming from all backgrounds and cultures and is easily notable. – It is because of the social stigma attached to it. Perhaps because signing without speaking would make it clear that the person has the hearing impairment. And it must be unpleasant to most people only like us.
If there is one thing which I am certain about, now, is the sad reality that nobody wants to be that one person taking in charge all the unauthorized responsibilities because that would require her/him to do some extra work which might not be recognized as such. But isn’t that extra input all that makes the difference? The difference in what it is and what it must be. The difference in what we get to see and what we wish to see.
Let’s try and put in efforts into becoming that one person who is not afraid to ensure ‘Change’ because come on, we know it can be tough. But I promise it will be worth it.
Best,
Nihal Kaur
#IWDEAF #IDSL #ISL #ISLisforall #Inclusion #Signlanguages #DeafIndia #DeafEducation
ਨਿਹਾਲ ਕੌਰ nihal kaur 