Prague parade puts deaf culture and sign language center stage

Dozens of people marched through central Prague on Saturday in support of the deaf community, bringing sign-language performances to some of the city’s busiest tourist locations.

The procession formed part of ZnakoFest, a weeklong festival intended to increase awareness of deaf culture and reduce barriers between deaf and hearing people. It began at Náměstí Republiky and concluded with a program at Malostranské náměstí.

Organizer Jan Wirth said the community wanted hearing people to communicate with greater patience and avoid prejudices about deafness.

“The goal is for hearing people to realize that they should respect the deaf without prejudice, without discrimination and without erecting barriers,” said Wirth, who chairs the Znakovárna association.

The parade departed Náměstí Republiky at 11 a.m. and made its first stop outside the Municipal House. From the building’s balcony, several young women performed the Czech national anthem in Czech Sign Language.

At Můstek, two performers staged a play about a robot that learns sign language and becomes an interpreter. A third performance at Křižovnické náměstí depicted contrasting approaches taken by hearing and deaf parents raising a deaf child.

The piece addressed the pressure that hearing parents can face to give their deaf child a cochlear implant, as well as the perspective of deaf parents who may want their child to remain part of the deaf community.

Wirth said everyday exchanges can break down when hearing people become impatient. Phones, gestures and written messages can help, but writing is not necessarily the preferred option for every deaf person.

“Czech is a foreign language for deaf people, and they don’t always prefer written communication,” he said. “The dream of the deaf community is for the majority of mainstream society to know sign language—at least the basics.”

ZnakoFest began Monday at a café on Malostranské náměstí, where employees received training in serving customers using Czech Sign Language.

On Wednesday, Prague trams displayed flags representing the deaf community. The Dancing House, Petřín Lookout Tower, Žižkov Television Tower and Troja Bridge were among the landmarks illuminated in turquoise.

Cultural performances, lectures and community gatherings continued at venues around Prague throughout the week.

The Czech Union of the Deaf estimates that approximately 7,600 people in Czechia were born deaf or lost their hearing during their school years. Around 15,000 people have lived with some form of hearing impairment since birth or childhood.