Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of the broadcast of the first-ever broadcast of an Irish Sign Language news programme on RTÉ.
The programme called 'News for the Deaf' aired on 6 January 1975 and was the first of its kind not only in Ireland but also in Europe.
An announcer read a summary of the day's news, which also appeared as script on screen
It was created in consultation with the National Association for Deaf People, now known as Chime.
The current iteration, RTÉ News with ISL, is on air seven days a week and receives a viewership of 100,000 people.
Around 5,000 Deaf people in Ireland use ISL and another 40,000 such as family members, interpreters, co-workers also regularly use it.
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Watch: News For The Deaf in 1982
Chair of the Irish Deaf Society and member of the RTÉ ISL News team Lianne Quigley said daily ISL news "remains vital" in providing the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community with full access to national news in their own language.
"It is important to reflect on how far we have come as RTÉ celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first news for the Deaf. Before 1992, RTÉ began its journey with news presented through lip-reading, but the launch of daily ISL news in 1992 was groundbreaking," she added.
Managing Director of RTÉ News and Current Affairs Deirdre McCarthy, said: "This 50-year journey is a testament to inclusivity and innovation. We are deeply grateful for the collaboration with organisations like Chime and The Irish Deaf Society that ensure we represent everyone."
