A Special Flag at City Hall Has a Meaningful Message This Week

By Scott Arnold

If you’ve noticed a new flag flying outside Peterborough City Hall today, there’s a reason it’s there.

The Deaf flag flies outside Peterborough City Hall on September 23rd in recognition of International Week of Deaf People and International Day of Sign Languages. (photo by scott arnold)

The City of Peterborough has raised the Deaf flag in recognition of International Week of Deaf People, which takes place during the last full week of September.

September 23rd is also International Day of Sign Languages, a day established by the United Nations in 2017 to raise awareness of sign languages and strengthen their status around the world.

The date is significant because it marks the anniversary of the founding of the World Federation of the Deaf in 1951.

The flag itself also carries meaning. Designed by French deafblind artist Arnaud Balard, it features two hands, representing sign language, communication and support. Its turquoise blue, yellow and dark blue colours each have their own significance, reflecting the Deaf community, light and life, humanity and the connection to Deaf culture around the world. Together, the colours represent the diversity of people and languages and the place of Deaf people within the broader human community.

International Week of Deaf People brings Deaf communities and others together through activities and events focused on awareness, participation and inclusion. The week also highlights the important role of families, governments, professional sign language interpreters and organizations supporting people with disabilities.

This year also marks 20 years since the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the recognition of national sign languages as full and equal languages.

For the City, the flag is also connected to its broader work around accessibility.

Peterborough says it is committed to creating an inclusive environment across its services, programs, facilities, information, employment and transportation systems, with a focus on dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity.

The City also notes that people with disabilities can face limited options when navigating public spaces and says it is committed to providing timely information about service disruptions, including what is affected, how long the disruption is expected to last, why it is happening and what alternatives are available.

So, if you’re passing City Hall and spot the Deaf flag flying this week, now you know why it’s there.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.