Author: Nadina Imamović, Disability inclusion specialist volunteer

For many Deaf and hard-of-hearing people, accessing a hospital, public institution, classroom, workplace or emergency information can become a barrier when communication is not accessible.

Sign language changes that.

Sign languages are fully developed natural languages, with their own grammar and linguistic structures. They enable people to communicate, learn, express themselves, access information and services, participate in society and have their voices heard. More than 300 sign languages are used by Deaf communities around the world.

Every year on 23 September, the International Day of Sign Languages raises awareness of the importance of sign languages and reaffirms the right of Deaf people to communicate and participate on an equal basis with others.

From recognition to action

The International Day of Sign Languages was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2017, with the first observance in 2018. The date also marks the establishment of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) in 1951.

The day highlights the importance of early access to sign language, quality education in sign language and the recognition and preservation of sign languages as part of the world’s linguistic and cultural diversity.

The message of the first International Day of Sign Languages remains relevant today:

“With Sign Language, Everyone is Included!”

Sign language is a language. And language is a right.

Sign language is not universal. Like spoken languages, sign languages differ across countries and communities and have their own vocabulary, grammar and structures. International Sign is used in some international settings, but it does not replace national sign languages.

For many Deaf people, sign language is closely connected to identity and culture, education, family and community, access to information and public services, employment and civic participation.

When sign language is inaccessible, the consequences go beyond communication. A missing interpreter can mean missing a medical explanation. A meeting without interpretation can mean exclusion from a decision. An inaccessible public announcement can mean being left without critical information during an emergency.

Accessibility is therefore not simply a service. It is about enabling people to exercise their rights.

UNDP: advancing disability inclusion and communication rights

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) places communication at the heart of inclusion. It recognises spoken and signed languages as languages, while Article 21 calls for the recognition and promotion of sign languages and access to information and communication on an equal basis with others.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supports the principles of the Convention by promoting disability inclusion, participation and equal access, in line with Leave No One Behind and the principle of Nothing About Us Without Us.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNDP is putting these principles into practice by strengthening awareness and understanding of inclusive communication and the rights of persons with disabilities.

As part of the Third Congress of Persons with Disabilities, held on 20 October 2025 at Hotel Hollywood, UNDP organised a side event with around 50 representatives of organisations of persons with disabilities from across Bosnia and Herzegovina. Deaf participants were able to participate equally, as UNDP engaged a professional sign language interpreter for the event.

UNDP also organised two trainings in cooperation with partner UN agencies. On 6 November 2025, in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), a training on the position of persons with disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina included a practical introduction to sign language.

On 26 February 2026, in cooperation with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UNDP organised training on inclusive communication, including a dedicated presentation on sign language by a representative of the Centre for the Deaf from Sarajevo. Both trainings were organized for the UN Staff. All of the activities above were organized through UN Disability Inclusion Working Group (DIWG). 

These activities demonstrate that inclusion is not only something institutions discuss — it is something they practise.

More than a gesture

Learning a few signs may take only a few minutes. Creating a society where Deaf people can participate fully requires sustained action.

It requires accessible education, qualified interpreters, accessible public services, inclusive institutions and the meaningful participation of Deaf people in decisions that affect their lives.

The International Day of Sign Languages is therefore more than an invitation to learn how to sign. It is a reminder that communication is a right and accessibility is a condition for participation.

It is a reminder to listen - including when listening happens with our eyes.

This 23 September, let us move from awareness to action: