We work with Deaf people in all areas of their lives including:
- Providing access to information and services
- Offering Deaf Awareness training to businesses, national governments, and general public
- Facilitating ongoing academic research and providing resources for goverment at local and national levels
- Lobbying for better access to opportunities and services on behalf of New Zealand's Deaf communities
We promote New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), which became one of New Zealand's three official languages in 2006. More than 29,000 New Zealanders use this unique means of expression and communication either fully or partially in their day-to-day lives. Each year, New Zealand Sign Language Week helps advance NZSL and raise awareness about the Deaf community.
Deaf Aotearoa also represents New Zealand Deaf internationally as members of the World Federation of the Deaf.
