International Week Of The Deaf: 10 #DidYouKnow Fun Facts

On my Twitter feed, I often share #DidYouKnow facts. For International Week of the Deaf, I thought it would be fun to learn about deafness around the world!

1. #DidYouKnow

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The World Federation of the Deaf has 133 National Association members, and represents more than 70 million deaf people worldwide!

2. #DidYouKnow

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French Sign Language (LSF) was the first signed language to gain recognition as an official language in 1830. LSF created the foundation for Dutch Sign Language, German Sign Language, Flemish Sign Language, Belgian-French Sign Language, Irish Sign Language, American Sign Language, Quebec Sign Language, and Russian Sign Language.

3. #DidYouKnow

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An International Sign Language was developed by the World Federation of the Deaf in 1951. International Sign is limited in vocabulary and considered informal, used primarily at large global Deaf events such as UN Assemblies.

4. #DidYouKnow

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Every 4 years, Deaf athletes from all over the world compete in the Deaflympics. Events include track and field, cycling, swimming, football, and more! The Deaflympic Games are officially sanctioned by the Olympic Committee, and only open to athletes who have a hearing deficit of 55 decibels or greater.

5. #DidYouKnow

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India is believed to be the country with the largest number of Deaf individuals and sign language users. It is estimated that nearly one out of every five deaf people in the whole world lives in India!

6. #DidYouKnow

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According to Japanese legend, dragons are deaf because their ears fell into the ocean, where they became seahorses. The seahorse is the chosen logo of the Japanese Federation of the Deaf.

7. #DidYouKnow

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South Africa's popular Deaf television network, Deaf TV, has been airing news, soap operas, and other original programming in South African Sign Language since 1996.

8. #DidYouKnow

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Nicaraguan Sign Language was spontaneously developed by deaf Nicaraguan school children during the 1970s and 80s. Prior to this, there was no official language for the Deaf community in the country.

9. #DidYouKnow

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Worldwide, it's estimated that one in every thousand babies is born with some form of hearing loss.

10. #DidYouKnow

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For many people around the globe, Deaf identity is strongly tied to the use of sign language. Attempts to limit the use of signed languages are viewed as a form of cultural oppression.