International Day of Sign Languages and Official Deaf Flag Recognized in British Columbia
(Surrey, British Columbia) — The British Columbia Association of the Deaf (BCAD), Greater
Vancouver Association of the Deaf (GVAD), South Vancouver Island Association of the Deaf
(SVIAD), and Mid-Island Deaf Association (MIDA) proudly announce a historic Deaf Flag raising ceremony at the Provincial Legislature in Victoria, B.C. on Monday, September 23, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. This event marks the first time the Deaf Flag will be raised in the Provincial Capital.
Additionally, on the same day at 11:00 a.m., the Deaf Flag will be raised at City Hall, 511 Royal Ave, New Westminster, B.C., with local Deaf representatives attending.
According to the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), over 70 million Deaf people worldwide use more than 300 sign languages. In British Columbia, with a population of 5.6 million, approximately 5,600 people are Deaf.
International Day of Sign Languages
On December 19, 2017, the United Nations designated September 23 as the International Day of Sign Languages to promote the preservation of sign languages and Deaf culture globally. This day coincides with the founding of the WFD in 1951 and is part of the International Week of Deaf People, which raises awareness of the human rights and cultural significance of sign languages.
The Deaf Flag
Approved at the WFD’s 20th General Assembly in July 2023, the Deaf Flag symbolizes Deaf unity and strength. The flag’s three colours hold special meanings:
? Turquoise Blue: Sign language, pride, and unity.
? Yellow: Enlightened spirit and life.
? Dark Blue: Humanity and the Deaf community’s global connection.
These colours represent the diversity and inclusion of Deaf people as part of the rich fabric of humanity.
Shine a Blue Light on Sign Languages
On the International Day of Sign Languages, Deaf communities worldwide will celebrate by
lighting key buildings and landmarks in blue—a symbol of unity.
The World Federation of the Deaf encourages communities, governments, and organizations to shine blue lights on landmarks, showing collective support for Deaf communities and national sign languages. In British Columbia, the BC Association of the Deaf and GVAD proudly support this campaign, which will occur at provincial landmarks.
We support this effort to raise awareness about the rights of sign language communities and the ongoing human rights issues around accessibility. Deaf and Deaf-Blind organizations in B.C. face several key challenges:
? Funding & Personnel: There is insufficient support to prevent language deprivation among
Deaf children and ensure communication accessibility. Recent cuts in the Surrey School
District affect 50 Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and hard-of-hearing students lacking language
acquisition support.
? Intervenor Services: Provincial funding for Deaf-Blind adults’ intervenor services is at risk, threatening their communication and quality of life.
? Language Monitoring: Sign language milestones, crucial for deaf children’s
neurodevelopment, are not tracked. Additionally, funding cuts to services like the Deaf
Children’s Society of British Columbia worsen a lack of trained specialists and role models.
The following Lower Mainland landmarks will be lit in blue on the evening of Monday, September 23, 2024, with Deaf organization representatives and community members gathering to view them:
? Surrey Civic Plaza, located at 13450 104 Ave, Surrey, B.C. (8:30 p.m.)
? New Westminster City Hall, 511 Royal Avenue, New Westminster, B.C. (9:00 p.m.)
? BC Place & Science World, 1455 Quebec Street, Vancouver, B.C. (9:40 p.m.)
? The Sails at Canada Place, 999 Canada Place, Vancouver, B.C. (10:15 p.m.)
The Greater Vancouver Association of the Deaf has created a flyer with all the landmarks that will be shone in Blue on Monday evening. Members of the Board of Directors and the Deaf community will stop at the above locations at certain times to create photo opportunities.
The Province of British Columbia has proclaimed and declared that September 23 to 29, 2024, shall be known as “International Week of Deaf People” and September 23, 2024, shall be known as “International Day of Sign Languages” in the Province of British Columbia, as seen in this link.
Please reference the Canadian Association of the Deaf-Association des Sourds du Canada
(CAD-ASC) press release for a complete list of locations nationwide participating in these events.
For more information, please contact:
Regarding Provincial Legislature Flag-Raising:
Lisa Anderson: President@gvad.ca or Text message: 778-688-3656
Regarding the New Westminster Flag-Raising:
Leanor Vlug: leanorvlug@bcadeaf.ca or Text message: 672-515-9308
Additional Resources
The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD):
https://wfdeaf.org/who-we-are/our-story/
International Day of Sign Language WFD Press release:
https://wfdeaf.org/news/un-23-sept-as-international-day-of-sign-languages/
Blue Lights for Sign Language WFD Information Sheet:
Information Sheet
Deaf Flag as part of 19th WFD Congress Resolutions:
https://wfdeaf.org/news/wfd-congress-resolutions/
Deaf Flag Information on the WFD Website:
About the Deaf Flag
Blog post about the Deaf Flag:
https://www.deafumbrella.com/post/deaf-flag
Canadian Association of the Deaf-Association des Sourds du Canada (CAD-ASC):
https://cad-asc.ca/
British Columbia Association of the Deaf:
Facebook Page
Greater Vancouver Association of the Deaf – Facebook Page:
Greater Vancouver Association of the Deaf | Surrey, BC
Deaf-Blind Planning Committee:
Information Sheet
Deaf Children’s Society of BC (DCS):
Website
Regarding Early Intervention and Language Development:
Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center – https://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu
Early Intervention at Clerc Center – Language Access for All:
https://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/earlyintervention/
California EDHI – Lead-K Family Services:
https://leadkfamilyservices.org
Boston University –
Research on Language Milestones
