There are about 72 million Deaf and Hard of Hearing people in the world, and more than 300 sign languages. But over half of all countries still have not recognized a national sign language. This year’s International Week of the Deaf shared one message: “No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights.” In 2025, several countries made important progress: Cuba recognized Cuban Sign Language (LSC) on February 8, 2025. The new law includes interpreter training and gives 52,000 Deaf Cubans better access to services. In India, Deaf leaders called for Indian Sign Language (ISL) to become an official national language. Today ISL is used and supported, but it is not in the constitution. Because of this, many Deaf children must use oralism in school instead of sign language. Making ISL fully official would help fix this. Japan passed a national law recognizing Japanese Sign Language (JSL) on August 1, 2025. More than 1,700 local councils agreed. Deaf advocates worked for this for 20 years. The law requires support for sign language in education and the arts. This was a major victory. In Rwanda, Deaf groups asked the government to officially recognize Rwandan Sign Language on October 8, 2025. One Deaf Rwandan said: “Without sign language, we do not have equal rights.” The World Federation of the Deaf also praised Azerbaijan for officially recognizing Azerbaijani Sign Language (AzSL). Recognition is important for equality and inclusion. When governments recognize sign languages, Deaf people are seen not as a “special-needs group,” but as a cultural and linguistic minority. Sign languages protect Deaf identity, history, and culture.

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is computer technology that can think and work like a human. It can understand language, answer questions, translate between languages, and even create pictures and videos. AI can help the Deaf community in many ways. It can change spoken words into text, add captions to videos, and translate speech or text into sign language. This support is important because there is a worldwide shortage of interpreters, and real-time sign language AI could give Deaf people more access and independence. Researchers around the world are working on new AI tools. In China, developers are creating systems that translate text to and from sign language and may even show signing avatars in smart glasses. In the United States, scientists are training AI to read and produce hand movements, fingerspelling, facial expressions, and body language. In the United Kingdom, developers are making signing avatars that could work like interpreters on smartphones. AI is also improving safety. In the past, emergency alerts were sound-only. Now platforms like SUNO can send sign language warnings during earthquakes and floods to help keep Deaf people safe. Even with these improvements, Deaf people must be included in designing and training AI. Deaf signers know what works and what does not. Human interpreters are still needed for important situations like school, healthcare, and legal meetings. AI can help with simple tasks such as subtitles, but it should not replace interpreters just to reduce costs. At a World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) conference, leaders said AI can be useful as long as it respects Deaf rights, culture, and languages. AI should support the Deaf community - not decide what Sign Language is.

There is a worldwide shortage of sign language interpreters, and this strongly affects the Deaf community. Many more interpreters are needed than the number available. Because of this, Deaf and Hard of Hearing people often face communication barriers in hospitals, schools, and courtrooms. The Nimdzi Interpreting Index reports that the demand for interpreters is increasing. War, migration, and global emergencies make the need even greater. But many governments still cut funding for interpreter programs, which makes the shortage worse. Several countries show how serious the problem is. India has about 250 certified interpreters for 18 million Deaf people. Australia has around 700 Auslan interpreters for 16,000 Auslan users. Germany counts only 750 interpreters for about 200,000 Deaf people. In the United States, there may be around 10,000 interpreters, but about 500,000 people need interpreting services. The shortage causes major problems in education. Deaf children miss important information in class, and Deaf adults may not access college or job programs without trained interpreters. Healthcare is also impacted. Without interpreters, patients can misunderstand medical information, and dangerous mistakes can occur. In the United Kingdom, a Deaf man misunderstood an HIV diagnosis without an interpreter. In Australia, communication errors without an interpreter led to the death of a Deaf man. Many governments now require accessibility, including sign language interpreters. But the world needs more trained interpreters, more investment, and stronger standards to make sure Deaf people receive equal access.

In 2025, many Deaf films and shows were released around the world. These stories are important because they show real Deaf lives, reduce stereotypes, and help hearing people understand Deaf culture. They also give Deaf youth and Deaf audiences positive representation through characters who sign and share similar experiences. One major release was “Sinners” in July, the first movie streamed in Black American Sign Language (BASL). It follows Black Deaf twin brothers and celebrates Black Deaf culture, marking a big step forward for accessibility. Also in July, “A Quiet Love” became the first film told fully in Irish Sign Language. It shares the challenges and love stories of three Deaf Irish couples, including communication barriers during emergencies, war, and sports. The film connected Deaf audiences and helped hearing viewers understand true Deaf experiences. Another milestone came from the performing arts. Damany Hughes, a Deaf dancer, joined Jamaica’s National Dance Theater Company. He performs using rhythm, vision, and memory, proving that Deaf dancers belong in professional dance. The documentary “Deaf President Now” gained worldwide attention, winning awards and receiving two Emmy nominations. It tells the story of Gallaudet University’s historic protest for a Deaf president and how the movement united the Deaf community, influenced laws, and increased global awareness. Japan’s Sign Language Speech Contest also made news when Princess Kako participated and signed her own speech, bringing international attention to Japanese Sign Language. The Deaf Way Film Festival became another global celebration of Deaf culture through films, art, and workshops. It honored Deaf creatives, challenged hearing stereotypes, and built a bridge for greater Deaf inclusion in the arts.

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM H3 WORLD TV 
Daniel Loaiza, Senior Writer and Associate Producer at H3 World TV, talks about major changes as we enter 2026. These changes impact DeafDigest. We invite you to continue watching our DeafDots TV program at www.deafdots.ca