Students and staff at the District-administered BC Provincial School for the Deaf (BCSD) kicked off the International Week of Deaf People with flag raising ceremonies. It was the first year that the blue, turquoise, and yellow Deaf flag has been raised at BCSD, which is located at both Burnaby South Secondary and South Slope Elementary.
The week is deeply important to Deaf communities around the world. For students and staff at BCSD, it was a meaningful opportunity to both celebrate Deaf culture and raise awareness.
Catherine Bennett is the K-12 Principal of BCSD:
Every Deaf child deserves a recognition of their own language, culture, and identity. Our students enjoyed various ASL activities both in and out of the classroom promoting this year's theme: Sign Up for Sign Language Rights. These events aim to promote the rights of Deaf people, ASL, and accessibility. It was a fantastic week at BCSD celebrating Deaf culture, language, and identity."
The theme, "Sign up for Sign Language Rights," could be seen reflected in the games and learning activities at BCSD, which took place throughout the week and began with marking the International Day of Sign Languages. Examples included "Deafland," an immersive experience into the Deaf world, ASL Shirt Day, Deaf Role Model presentations, ASL Bingo, and an ASL competition.
For Bennett, one of the important aspects of the week at BCSD is validating Deaf children's unique experiences. The International Week of Deaf People is one example of opportunities utilized at BCSD to highlight linguistic and cultural recognition within students' educational and social environments - all in support of development and a sense of belonging for Deaf children and youth.
The International Week of Deaf People is celebrated the last full week of September. It was first launched in 1958 by the World Federation of the Deaf, with events held around the world to raise awareness and honour the achievement of Deaf individuals and communities.
Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2017, the International Day of Sign Languages takes place during the International Week of Deaf People and recognizes the important role of sign language, as well as access to education and services in sign language as essential human rights for Deaf people. The Deaf flag depicts a large open turquoise hand on another yellow hand, with the tips of the fingers outside the flag, so that the fingers stretch out indefinitely.
