International Day of Deafblindness
A/RES/79/294
A/RES/79/294
This authority record treats the observance as a fixed annual date. The same month and day can be reused unless a stronger source changes the rule. Public-holiday or government status is never inferred from the observance name alone.
Overview
The International Day of Deafblindness is observed on 27 June. It raises awareness of deafblindness as a distinct disability and of the communication, information, mobility, service-access and inclusion barriers experienced by people who are deafblind.
The observance is intended to improve visibility in policy and public life while emphasizing accessibility, professional deafblind interpretation and interpreter-guide support, independent living and full participation.
Why it matters
Deafblindness is not adequately understood by simply adding separate assumptions about deafness and blindness. Combined sensory loss can create distinct communication, orientation, information and access needs that require tailored support.
The Day is also an inclusion checkpoint: organizations can examine whether information, events, education, employment and public services are usable by people who communicate or navigate in different ways.
History
The initiative was led in the UN process by Croatia with a cross-regional group and engagement from the World Federation of the Deafblind.
On 16 June 2025, the United Nations General Assembly adopted A/RES/79/294. The resolution proclaimed 27 June of each year, beginning in 2025, as the International Day of Deafblindness.
The selected date commemorates the birth of Helen Keller on 27 June 1880.
The resolution is the first General Assembly resolution specifically addressing deafblindness as a unique and distinct disability.
How the observance developed
This timeline is assembled only from verified provenance fields. Missing stages are omitted rather than inferred.
Croatia with a cross-regional group, working with the World Federation of the Deafblind
United Nations coverage identifies Croatia as introducing the resolution; UN material describes the initiative as led by Croatia with cross-regional partners and the World Federation of the Deafblind.
United Nations General Assembly
A/RES/79/294
First documented observance
A/RES/79/294 explicitly proclaims 27 June of each year beginning in 2025, establishing the first annual occurrence under the resolution.
What the evidence establishes
Verified institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Fields that the reviewed sources do not establish remain fail-closed and are available below without competing with the confirmed record.
3 fields not established in reviewed sources
Ways to observe
Ask deafblind people and representative organizations what accessibility barriers matter most before designing an awareness event.
Provide information in formats appropriate to the audience and plan for communication support, including qualified deafblind interpreters or interpreter-guides where needed.
Audit physical and digital services for combined sensory-access barriers rather than checking visual and hearing accessibility separately.
Use the Day to improve long-term inclusion policies, procurement and staff practice instead of limiting activity to symbolic awareness.
Useful facts
The Day is observed on 27 June.
The General Assembly adopted A/RES/79/294 on 16 June 2025.
The resolution specifies that annual observance begins in 2025.
27 June commemorates the birth of Helen Keller.
The UN process was led by Croatia with cross-regional partners and involvement from the World Federation of the Deafblind.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Health Information Not Medical Advice.
Evidence & sources
Repeated links from the authority record, institutional provenance and editorial guide research are consolidated here. Badges show how each source is used; a contextual source is never treated as proof of establishment on its own.
United Nations Digital Library — A/RES/79/294 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations meetings coverage — 16 June 2025 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations Web TV — International Day of Deafblindness initiative (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — International Day of Deafblindness (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — List of International Days and Weeks (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — Observances: who chooses them and how (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then use reviewed distinctions and related authority records to understand where this observance fits.
Frequently asked questions
When is International Day of Deafblindness?
27 June The stored recurrence guidance is: 27 June.
Does International Day of Deafblindness fall on the same date every year?
The authority record classifies it as fixed annual, so its month and day are reusable unless stronger evidence changes the rule.
Is International Day of Deafblindness an official public holiday?
The authority record verifies it within this scope: United Nations / international observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when the supporting authority record explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes International Day of Deafblindness?
The reviewed provenance layer identifies United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as Croatia with a cross-regional group, working with the World Federation of the Deafblind.
Is International Day of Deafblindness international or country-specific?
The record has international or global institutional scope: United Nations / international observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual layer is source-backed and keeps its date rule, scope, provenance and editorial guardrails attached to the authority record. This record was checked on 2026-09-05.
Why is the International Day of Deafblindness on 27 June?
The date commemorates the birth of Helen Keller on 27 June 1880.
When did the UN observance begin?
A/RES/79/294 proclaims 27 June of each year beginning in 2025, so 27 June 2025 is the first official annual occurrence under the resolution.
What is the purpose of the Day?
It raises awareness of deafblindness as a distinct disability and promotes the empowerment, inclusion and participation of people who are deafblind.
Other observances on June 27
These records also resolve to June 27, 2027 under the current authority data.
Day of National Unity
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan
Helen Keller Day
GovInfo documents President Jimmy Carter’s 1980 proclamation designating 27 June 1980 as Helen Keller Day for the centennial of Keller’s birth; later public institutions continue to use 27…
Independence Day
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade current National Days protocol register lists Djibouti — Independence Day on 27 June. The source verifies the diplomatic national-day ide…
Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day
A/RES/71/279
National Fatherless Children’s Day
National Day Archives states that Donald Adams of Finding Fathers, Inc. created the observance in 2020 and that it occurs on the fourth Sunday of June.
National HIV Testing Day
HIV.gov states that National HIV Testing Day was first observed on June 27, 1995 and encourages people to get tested, know their status and connect with care and treatment.