New Zealand Sign Language Week 9 – 15 May 2022

New Zealand Sign Language is Essential

Access4Success welcomes you to celebrate NZ Sign Language (NZSL) Week 2022.

Every May, Deaf Aotearoa organises NZSL Week. It is a chance for the Deaf community to stand proud as Deaf and to celebrate their language and culture. It is a chance to celebrate one of the country’s official languages. NZSL became the third official language of New Zealand on 11 April, 2006.

It is important to raise awareness about NZSL for Deaf people and for all ‘essential’ Deaf workers. This theme has many facets while using a word that has become part of a ‘catch’ phrase during the past few years of Covid-19.

NZSL is a visual language based on hand and facial movements and is ‘essential’ for Deaf people to be able to participate fully in all aspects of their lives. Approximately 24,000 people in NZ use NZ Sign Language. NZSL is the common language that has developed over many generations of Deaf people from Māori, Pākeha and other ethnic backgrounds in New Zealand. There are signs in NZSL that express Māori cultural experience and referents, and this vocabulary is expanding as Māori Deaf gain more access to Māori contexts using NZSL. NZSL enables accessibility and participation in education, advocation in health and for individuals to be a productive and contributing member of the workplace and society.

Click here to read about the History of NZ Sign Language

The Van Asch Deaf Education Centre (formerly Sumner School for the Deaf), was opened in the late 1800’s in Christchurch. Unfortunately, the Principal Gerrit Van Asch was an ‘oralist’ who focussed on teaching lip-reading and speaking. Children were forbidden to sign and were punished if caught using their hands. Any child that was able to sign, was not able to enrol into the school.  This policy was also the same for both Titirangi and Kelston School for the Deaf, and it remained until 1979. NZSL or Te Reo Turi was finally used in teaching in 1994. In 2020, the Van Asch Deaf Education Centre and the Kelston Deaf Education Centre merged to form a national multilingual and tri lingual school for Deaf education named  Ko Taku Reo

Interesting Facts:

•  In the 5 Century BC, it was Socrates who said that it made sense that if people couldn’t communicate with their voice, they could move their hands, head, and bodies to express themselves.
• In 1620, the first book with a manual alphabet to teach Deaf children was published.
• The first school for Deaf children was established in Paris in 1755.
• Pioneer families that settled at Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, USA in the late 17 century all carried a gene causing deafness. The settlers developed their own dialect which is known as Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language. This was used by both the Deaf and hearing people of the community.
• British immigrants in the late 1800’s introduced British Sign Language to New Zealand, from which evolved NZSL with its own vocabulary and grammar rules.
• Butterflies are the symbol representing Deaf, as butterflies are also deaf.
• Physical contact is common within Deaf culture, such as hugging instead of shaking hands.
• Hearing Dogs is an organisation established in NZ in 1998. Dogs are trained for specific sounds for when Deaf people are at home, work or in public places. Sounds such as, telephones, smoke alarms, doorbells, and timers.

At Unitec, Access4Success provides Deaf students with NZSL Interpreters, notetakers, assistive technology, alternative exam arrangements and advice and support to ensure they have equal access to learning at Unitec.

Monday 9 May at 10am.

(NB: Limited to 10 people so sign up early!)

Zoom link
Meeting ID: 882 3624 9737
Passcode: 646704

Click on the following link to hear the story of one of our Deaf graduates, Saynab Muse.

Unitec Redefining Stories

Some helpful links:

Deaf Aotearoa www.deaf.org.nz

Learn NZSL  learn and practice 9 common everyday topics

NZSL Dictionary of video signs NZSL Dictionary

The Ministry of Education website, www.tki.org.nz for ‘Thumbs Up’, an interactive instruction video gallery

Got questions?

NZSL Week 2022 FAQs Flyer