The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB), in collaboration with the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), the Department of Sport, Arts & Culture and the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities will, on Tuesday, 23 September 2025, commemorate International Day of Sign Languages under the theme ‘No Human Rights without Sign Language Rights’. This commemoration follows a month-long Deaf Awareness campaign carried out throughout the country to raise awareness on South African Sign Language (SASL) as a language with its own distinct grammatical structures and lexicon that is independent of any other language.
The commemoration will be led by the Deputy Minister for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Ms Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, who is expected to deliver the keynote address during the proceedings.
“This commemoration with our key strategic partners will focus on the implementation plans of the various government departments in ensuring that SASL is incorporated into their language policies and language practices within their public communication. All government departments are required to ensure that the South African Sign Language Charter remains a living document through its continuous implementation and drive for the inclusion of Deaf stakeholders. The SASL Charter contains pledges that take into consideration the interrelatedness of the challenges facing the Deaf community as well as the need for cross-sectoral policies and programmes addressing the needs of the Deaf community holistically,” said PanSALB Board Chairperson, Prof Lolie Makhubu-Badenhorst.
The commemoration will highlight the linguistic human rights of the Deaf community and the unique challenges they face in accessing quality information, services, and advocating for SASL Charter adoption by government departments to drive inclusive language policies and practices. The SASL Charter places obligations through its pledges to not only improve access to quality information but also ensure the effective protection of linguistic rights in an equitable manner.
The Deaf Awareness Month campaign activities included workshops for frontline workers in provincial and local government departments and parents and families of Deaf children, aimed at teaching them basic SASL and Deaf culture to bridge the communication gap between the hearing and the Deaf community.
