The National Portuguese Sign Language Day, celebrated on November 15
This day highlights the importance of including deaf individuals in society and promoting Portuguese Sign Language (LGP), particularly in the context of early childhood education in Portugal.
Ensuring that deaf children have access to LGP from an early age is vital for their communication, learning, and sense of identity. In Portugal, LGP has been recognized as an official language since 1997, but much remains to be done to guarantee that all deaf children receive the support needed to learn and communicate in their language.
On this day, initiatives such as including LGP interpreters in television programs and organizing courses and activities about LGP help foster a more inclusive society. Raising awareness about the “SMS Segurança” service (number 96 10 10 200) by the GNR, designed for emergencies involving deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals, further underscores the commitment to effective communication for the deaf community.
LGP, characterized by hand movements, facial expressions, and body positions, has its own grammar and is a crucial tool for the social and educational inclusion of deaf children in Portugal.
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