City of Victoria Proclamation on International Deaf Week and ASL/LSQ and ISL

“INTERNATIONAL DEAF WEEK”

Transcript for the deafblind:

WHEREAS?the United Nations resolution to declare September 23rd as the International Day of Sign Languages was officially adopted at the 72nd General Assembly on December 19, 2017; and

WHEREAS?the International Day of Sign Languages will take place as part of the International Week of the Deaf, which is celebrated from September 24 to 30, 2018. The theme for this year as promoted by the World Federation of the Deaf is “With Sign Language, Everyone is Included”; and

WHEREAS?the Canadian Association of the Deaf-Association des Sourds du Canada and Deaf communities across Canada strive to remove barriers and ensure equal access in society for Deaf people as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD); and

WHEREAS?it is a time to celebrate and promote awareness of American Sign Language (ASL) and langue des signes québecoise (LSQ) with the richness, pride, and diversity of our communities. It is also an opportunity to recognize the importance of our Sign Languages to strengthen us socially, politically, culturally, economically; and

WHEREAS?the City of Victoria supports the mandate of the Canadian Association of the Deaf-Association des Sourds du Canada, and aims for accessibility and inclusion while encouraging residents to participate in activities promoting Deaf cultural awareness and human rights of Deaf people; and

NOW, THEREFORE I do hereby proclaim the week of September 23rd-30th 2018 as the “International Day of Sign Languages” and September 24-30, 2018 as the “International Week of the Deaf” on the TRADITIONAL TERRITORIES of theESQUIMALT AND SONGHEES FIRST NATIONS in the CITY OF VICTORIA, CAPITAL CITY of thePROVINCE of BRITISH COLUMBIA.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I here unto set my hand this XX day of September, Two Thousand and Eighteen.