We stand by you as you undertake this Marathon, run strong, run proud

The atmosphere is infectious, positively electric. Though your legs are starting to cramp, you are animated by the energy and your adrenaline rushes while waiting for the race to start. Marathon running is physically and mentally challenging. Crossing the finishing line is an incredible victory not won by legs but by hearts. We should admire the determination and dedication of all for participating in this marathon.

This is a special race for a special cause. It is not a competitive one it’s race for awareness and inclusivity. It is very hard to describe to someone the experience, excitement and enthusiasm that I had seen on the faces of the school children. No runner was alone in their journey, reminding them there is a tribe cheering them, an army of supporters, though some of them cannot hear the cheers. There was altogether a different glow on their faces as they were running for a theme, “Sign Up for Sign Language Rights”. The marathon called SIGNATHON-2024 was organized on Sunday by ASHRAY AKRUTI, an NGO for hearing impaired to mark The International Day of Sign Languages at Gachibowli Stadium.

The day promotes the linguistic and cultural diversity of deaf communities and raises awareness of the importance of sign language in the lives of hearing impaired and the need to protect them as an essential part of human diversity. According to the World Federation of the Deaf(WFD), there are over 7 crore hearing impaired people in the world. More than 80% of them live in under developed countries. They collectively use more than 300 different sign languages. In order to raise public awareness of the value of the sign languages in the full realization of the human rights of deaf people The United Nations General Assembly has designated September 23rd as The International Day of Sign Languages.

Millions of people around the world use sign language as their primary means of communication. They are complex visual gestural communication systems with their own grammar and syntax. We need to promote the linguistic rights of deaf people and aim to increase awareness, inclusion and acceptance of hearing impaired in society. Sign languages are equal in status to spoken languages and obligates state parties to facilitate the learning of sign language and promote the linguistic identity of the deaf community. Public awareness, need to be developed to bring attention to the problems that unhearing people deal with on a daily basis.

The government, the civil society groups should continue to create, to promote and recognize national sign language as an integral part of the dynamic and diverse landscapes of their nation. Integrate sign language into school curriculum to educate students about the importance of communication and inclusivity. As part of awareness among school students Ashray Akruti SLEIP (sign language education institution program) demonstrates National Anthem in sign language at different institutes to bring these hearing impaired into the main stream. They have many sign language challenges to encourage students to learn a few basic signs and share their experience on social media using a specific hashtag. Teach them young and see them grow with empathy. Training and education programs should be provided for health care professionals, teachers and customer service representatives to improve communication with deaf and hard of hearing individuals.

The day is celebrated by shining a blue light! Blue is deeply connected to the roots of the deaf community. The deaf flag is a powerful symbol for deaf communities around the world. The flag consists of several colours. Turquoise blue represents the deaf community, sign language, pride and unity. Yellow represents the colour of light, an enlightened spirit of life and ‘thriving in unison’. Dark blue represents the earth, humanity and living inaccordance with the planet. The flag represents that we are here, we belong to this world and we are very much part of humanity. We are part of a rich diversity that makes humanity better. By promoting public awareness and inclusivity we can create a more accessible and accepting society for hearing impaired individuals.

Let us all work together to make a positive impact and a beautiful Earth to live and let live.