ISLRTC Sign Language Day 2025 Celebration Delhi

ISLRTC Celebrates Sign Language Day 2025 in Delhi

Why in the News?

The Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) is organizing a programme in New Delhi to celebrate Sign Language Day 2025 on 23rd September, highlighting the role of sign language in ensuring human rights, dignity, and inclusion for the Deaf community. This event also coincides with global efforts to promote traditional and integrative medicine practices for holistic healthcare and medicine.

Significance of the Celebration:

• The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 23rd September as the International Day of Sign Languages.
• The day promotes awareness about sign language as a tool for equality and inclusion.
• This year’s theme, “No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights”, stresses the link between language rights and human rights.
• The event will highlight barrier-free communication for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) community.
• Senior leaders, including Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar and MoS B. L. Verma, will attend, reinforcing government commitment to accessibility and integrative approaches in healthcare, medicine, and communication.

Role of Sign Language in Inclusion

• Enables equal access to education, justice, and employment for Deaf individuals.
• Builds a culture of dignity and respect by recognizing linguistic diversity.
• Acts as a bridge between the hearing and non-hearing communities.
• Supports inclusive policies and skill development for the Deaf workforce.
• Strengthens social justice by ensuring communication rights are treated as fundamental rights.

Traditional Medicine Initiatives

In parallel with sign language promotion, there’s a growing focus on integrating traditional medicine practices into mainstream healthcare and medicine:

• The World Health Organization recognizes the importance of traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) in achieving universal health coverage.
• Traditional medicine, including herbal medicines and ancient healing systems like traditional Chinese medicine and Indian traditional medicine, is being incorporated into integrative medicine approaches.
• The Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) is working to promote evidence-based traditional medicine practices worldwide, focusing on traditional medicine quality and formulations.
• Complementary medicine techniques such as acupuncture and herbal remedies from ancient Chinese medicine are gaining recognition in modern healthcare settings.
• Traditional medicine knowledge, including Thai traditional medicine, is being preserved and studied to develop new treatments and improve primary health care.
• Alternative medicine and traditional healing practices are being integrated into health and medicine strategies to provide more comprehensive care options.