2026 is a milestone year for the global Deaf community. The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), founded in Rome in 1951, is celebrating its 75th anniversary, marking three-quarters of a century advocating for Sign Language Rights and the human rights of Deaf people everywhere.
Seventy-Five Years of Advocacy
Since its founding, WFD has grown into the leading international voice for Deaf people, now representing member organizations from well over 100 countries. Its work spans everything from pushing for legal recognition of national sign languages to shaping international policy through consultative status with the United Nations. Today, WFD’s efforts have helped support progress toward dozens of legally recognized national sign languages around the world, a number that continues to climb year over year.
A Return to Rome
Fittingly, WFD is marking this milestone with a two-day conference on September 24–25, 2026, back in Rome, Italy, where the organization was first established. Held under the theme “Declaring Deaf People’s Human Rights,” the conference will bring together Deaf leaders, human rights experts, and community members from across the globe to reflect on decades of progress and chart a path forward.
A New Sign Name for a New Era
In a nod to Deaf culture’s own traditions, WFD is also inviting its global membership to help create a new official sign name for the organization, a fitting way to mark 75 years while embracing where the community is headed next. It’s a small but meaningful reminder that Deaf culture, identity, and language evolve together.
Why This Matters for International Sign
WFD’s advocacy work is deeply tied to International Sign. As the organization that represents Deaf people across nearly every country, WFD’s conferences, board meetings, and global gatherings rely heavily on IS to bring everyone into the same conversation. A milestone like this one is worth celebrating not just for what WFD has accomplished, but for how it has modeled international Deaf collaboration for 75 years running.