Each of our offices have Community Relations Officers who work with the local Deaf and hearing communities.

They are the main source of contact and information for the Deaf Community.

Their role is to:

• Work with the Deaf community to make a difference for Deaf people in the area
• Provide information to the Deaf community and to the hearing public
• Make sure local organisations like the City Council are aware of Deaf people
• Organise local events such as activities for New Zealand Sign Language Week
• Organise programmes for the Deaf community to learn new skills such as first aid workshops
• Keep the wider Deaf community up to date with what's happening in their area

Other ways the CRO’s assist community members is by educating them on how to use new technology such as how to:

• use mobile phone to send and receive text messages
• to understand captioning programme on television (using Teletext)
• to send and receive emails including attaching a photo/file
• to use internet to find information on the website / computer
• to use Video Relay Service (VRS) to make a video-phone call
• and many other new technological advances

Please contact your local office if you would like to receive local newsletters, get involved in events or programmes in your area or even if you have an issue you want to see addressed to improve access to services or information to the local Deaf community.