The International Day of Sign Languages is celebrated on September 23 by the United Nations. The International Day of Sign Languages is commemorated on this day since the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) was founded on this day in 1951, as a result of efforts by the WFD in 2017. The International Day of Sign Languages is a unique opportunity to support and protect the linguistic identity and cultural diversity of all deaf people and other sign language users.

Did you know there are around 72 million deaf individuals in the world? The World Federation of the Deaf provided this data. Over 300 distinct sign languages are used by these people together. Many people are unaware that sign languages are natural languages in their own right. Even in nations where the same language is spoken, regional accents in sign language can cause slight differences in people’s use and interpretation of signs.

Pidgin Signed English (PSE) or Signed English is the most widely used sign language among deaf people in the United States. The vocabulary is derived from American Sign Language (ASL), although it is presented in English word order.