Access to Sign Language: a Human Right
"As emphasised by the CRPD (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.), sign language is inseparable from deaf people’s human rights.
Without sign language, deaf people are not equal.
Language and culture are inseparable, and sign language(s) are a critical component of deaf culture and the deaf identity. Sign language is vital to every deaf person’s cognitive, social, emotional, and linguistic growth. Without early sign language exposure, deaf children are deprived of a strong language foundation. This is why the WFD promotes sign language rights for deaf children, and the right to bilingual education for all.
Access to sign language gives deaf people access to the world."
Source: https://wfdeaf.org/our-work/human-rights-of-the-deaf/
Nyle DiMarco on the first Int'l Day of Sign Languages (23 September, 2018)