The United Nations General Assembly has declared September 23 as International Sign Language Day. The resolution was initially adopted by consensus at the 48th meeting of the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday 16 November 2017 and the resolution (A / C.3 / 72 / L.36 / Rev.1) – formally adopted at the 72nd General Assembly of the United Nations.
The choice of this date coincides with the founding of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) on September 23, 1951, in Rome. The organization has as one of its main goals, the preservation of sign languages and the culture of the deaf as a precondition for the realization of their human rights.
Greek Sign Language is recognized as the first language of deaf and hard-of-hearing students by law 2817/2000. Since 2000, according to the aforementioned law, but also in 3699/2008, the knowledge of the Greek Sign Language is a mandatory qualification for the recruitment of new professionals in the education of deaf students. By-Law 4488/2017 (Article 65, paragraph 2) the Greek Sign Language is recognized as equal to the Greek language. In addition, the law stipulates that the state takes measures to promote it, as well as to cover all the communication needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing citizens.
The Greek Sign Language is recognized as equal to the Greek language, by law.
Greek Sign Language is not international, as is wrongly believed. Each country develops its own sign language with fundamentally different meanings and a different alphabet. There are common features and many morphological differences. However, Deaf people from different countries can easily communicate through International Signs, which are essentially a code that serves the simple daily needs of communication.
...It's not the Greek you speak
It should be emphasized that the Greek Sign Language is not a representation of the spoken Greek language, as is the written language, and can render, like any separate language, any expression of the spoken Greek language including slang.
The usefulness of sign language for facilitating the communication of the deaf is also emphasized by Socrates in his dialogue with Hermogenes, in Plato’s work “Kratylos”. Socrates specifically states: “If we did not have a voice and a language and yet we wanted to represent things to each other, would we not try, as the deaf do it now, to show them with our hands and head and with the other body?”
Nice Note
The https://www.keng.gr/ is the official source you could get more information and as well to apply to become a student of this full of expression language, the lessons are free of charge.
