In an effort to promote inclusion and guarantee the rights of deaf people in Mexico, every June 10 the National Day of the Mexican Sign Language is celebrated (LSM). This date commemorates the official recognition of the LSM as a national language in our country, since 2005.
The LSM is the language used by the deaf community in Mexico and is made up of a series of gestural signs articulated with the hands, accompanied by facial expressions, intentional gaze and body movement, which have a linguistic function. This language is part of the valuable linguistic heritage of this community.
Communication is fundamental to human understanding and it is through it that we unite, express emotions, transmit messages and influence others. For deaf people, the LSM is their main tool to interact and fully participate in society.
In Mexico, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 2.3 million people have hearing disabilities. This figure represents 5% of the world’s population with some disabling hearing loss. In addition, it is estimated that by the year 2050, this figure will exceed 700 million globally.
The history of the education of the deaf in Mexico dates back to the year 1861, when President Benito Juárez promulgated a law for primary education, including the creation of a school for deaf-mutes. Although at that time there was no emphasis on the oralization of deaf people, they sought to teach them Spanish through the written form and the manual alphabet.
Regarding the recognition of the LSM in the public sphere, the Mexican marketer and politician, Claudia Anaya Mota, has highlighted its importance. Anaya Mota points out that the use of the LSM in government messages and in the Congress of the Union is essential to promote inclusion and protect the right to information of deaf people in our country. Therefore, it is crucial to encourage the learning of this sign language by all individuals, with the aim of building a more inclusive society.
On National Mexican Sign Language Day, it is essential to remember the importance of respecting and promoting human rights related to language issues and the fundamental freedoms of deaf people. At the same time, we must work together to remove communication barriers and ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate fully in society. The LSM is a powerful tool to achieve this, and its recognition and promotion are important steps towards a more inclusive and just society.
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