09/21/2026
This week is International Week of Deaf People (Sept 21–27), and this Wednesday, Sept 23, is International Day of Sign Languages. 🤟
This year's theme is "Declaring Deaf People's Human Rights." 2026 marks 75 years of the WFD (World Federation of the Deaf) and 20 years since the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted. This year's message is that rights on paper aren't enough. Deaf people need to experience those rights in real life: at school, at work, at the doctor, in public services, and anywhere communication happens.
Sign languages are full, complete languages. Access to them is access to education, healthcare, community, and culture. And Deaf people should be leading the decisions that affect them.
Ways to take part:
-Follow and support Deaf creators, artists, and businesses
-Learn some basic signs, and remember that ASL is a language, not a gesture system
-Look at your own space: do your events, videos, and materials include captions, interpreters, and clear ways to request access?
Image description: Graphic for International Week of Deaf People 2026 from Southeast Alaska Independent Living (SAIL). The 2026 event logo shows two open hands cupped around concentric circles, with a red, yellow, green, blue, and black star arching over "2026." Below the logo, the text reads "International Week of Deaf People." At the bottom, four people sit in a circle and sign to each other; two smile and face the camera. The background is blue with wavy vertical stripes.
