Did you know that within the broader group of individuals who experience hearing loss or
impairment (the deaf), there are those who embrace sign language (the Deaf) as a central part
of their identity and culture? This means that Deaf people are not only regarded as persons with
a disability, but also as a cultural minority with the right to their language and way of life. The UN
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes these rights and places sign
language on equal status with spoken languages of the hearing. And in 2018, the UN General
Assembly declared September 23 as the International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL).

To raise awareness on the role of sign language in the cultural identity of the Deaf and the
upholding of their rights, the Oscar M. Lopez Center, through its project “Climate Resilience of
the Deaf: Signs for Inclusive Governance and Development” (Project SIGND), will host “Sign Up
for Sign Language Rights Towards Climate Resilience of the Deaf”, a celebration of IDSL on
September 30 at the Rockwell Business Center in Pasig City.

Deaf and hearing members of Project SIGND will facilitate a panel discussion on the rights of
the Deaf and the issues they face in terms of accessibility, as well as the role of sign language in
advocating for the community. Representatives from a select group of public and private
institutions shall be invited as panel.

Project SIGND will also present the project’s current findings towards the development of a
corpus of Filipino Sign Language signs for climate change concepts. This is in line with Project
SIGND’s goal to empower the Deaf by enhancing their participation in climate discourse and
action.

Also expected to be a highlight is an interactive session on FSL, with an introduction to signs
related to climate change.

The celebration will also include an exhibition of organizations, businesses, and services for and
by the Deaf.

As in its previous events, Project SIGND will ensure the presence of FSL interpreters at the
IDSL celebration to enable an inclusive experience for all attendees.

The promotion and development of FSL is an integral contributing factor in building the climate
resilience of the Filipino Deaf community.

OML Center, in its belief in harnessing science for climate-resilient communities, has partnered
with Deaf-led organizations on Project SIGND, a two-year grant mobilized through the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID) Funding for Disability-Inclusive Climate
Action (DCA). The grant is implemented under the larger project umbrella of Investing in
Sustainability and Partnerships for Inclusive Growth and Regenerative Ecosystems (INSPIRE)
project administered by the Gerry Roxas Foundation.

OML Center’s partners in implementing Project SIGND are the Philippine Federation of the
Deaf, Parabukas, Deaf Disaster Assistance Team-Disaster Risk Reduction, Dumaguete Effata
Association of the Deaf, Filipino Sign Language National Network, and Deaf Accessibility
Network of the Philippines.

For media inquiries or to arrange interviews, please contact Patricia Aquino, Project SIGND
content and data coordinator, [email protected].