Queen Letizia hails Spanish deaf confederation's 90-year journey from invisibility to rights model in sign-language video
In a video message that began and ended in Spanish Sign Language, Queen Letizia commended the 90-year trajectory of the CNSE, the country's oldest disability organisation, from 1930s invisibility to a rights-driven model.
A royal sign-language message
Queen Letizia marked the 90th anniversary of the Spanish Confederation of Deaf People (CNSE) on Saturday with a video address that opened and closed in Spanish Sign Language. The message was played during a gathering of about 2,500 people in Madrid under the theme "Lo que somos cambia el mundo" (What we are changes the world).
You have been determinant to dignify the lives of deaf people.
The Queen stressed that the confederation’s work remains essential.
Your work continues to be essential to consolidate a future where diversity is the strength of our society.
Nine decades of transformation
Founded in 1936, the CNSE is the oldest national organisation in Spain's disability sector. Its journey, the Queen noted, has been "very difficult, full of obstacles, challenges and injustices." Over the decades, the confederation guided a shift from an assistentialist, charity-based approach to one centred on human rights. In the new model, deaf people themselves hold "all the protagonism" in decision-making and in shaping policies that guarantee their rights.
The road has been very difficult, no one knows it better than you. It has been full of obstacles, challenges, injustices.
The change has progressively reduced social isolation, strengthened inclusion and recognition, and advanced personal autonomy. The Queen praised the CNSE as "pioneering," saying that "that first step has guided and benefited many."
- CNSE founded, becoming Spain's oldest disability organisation
- 90th anniversary celebration draws 2,500 attendees; Queen Letizia delivers sign-language video message
The cultural breakthrough of 'Sorda'
As a symbol of contemporary progress, the Queen cited the film 'Sorda' (Deaf), which has achieved national and international recognition in 2026. Starring a deaf actor and focused on the experience of a deaf mother, the film has brought the realities of auditory disability to wider audiences. Letizia used the example to illustrate how far the community has come since the "invisibility" of the 1930s.
Sign language, lip reading and technical aids
Beyond the symbolic gesture, the Queen underscored the concrete tools that enable autonomy: sign language itself, as well as lip reading and modern hearing technologies. These instruments, she said, have allowed deaf people to gain confidence and occupy more public space. Earlier instances of royal use of sign language were noted—last summer during a reception at Marivent Palace, Letizia along with Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía recorded a brief sign-language message for ASORNA, the deaf association of Mallorca.
