United Nations and Human Rights on Sign Language

The United Nations protects the human rights and promotes equality of deaf people and their signed languages under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) as follows:

Article 2 (Definition): "'Language' includes spoken and signed languages..."

Article 9 (Accessibility): "...to provide professional sign language interpreters..."

Article 21 (Freedom of expression and opinion, and access to information): "...recognizing and promoting the use of sign languages."

Article 24 (Education): "facilitating the learning of sign language and the promotion of the linguistic identity of the Deaf community;"

Article 30 (Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport): "...persons with disabilities shall be entitiled... to recognition and support... including sign languages and Deaf culture."

Resources

Sign Bilingualism is a human right. http://youtu.be/2wSY5WlbOnk

United Nations. "Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities." United Nations. http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/conventionfull.shtml

United Nations. "Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities." World Federation of the Deaf. http://wfdeaf.org/human-rights/crpd

United Nations Human Rights Council. http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/HRCIndex.aspx