Volunteers

Some of the ways our Volunteers help Deaf Aotearoa NZ and our community are:

•  Help with administration in our offices; collate newsletter
•  Help with our resources library
•  Provide transport to appointments and meetings for our community members who are unable to drive themselves
•  Odd jobs / handyman work / grounds maintenance
•  New Zealand Sign Language Week

In 2006, New Zealand Sign Language became an official language with the passing of the New Zealand Sign Language Act. This achievement was a significant breakthrough for the Deaf community, bringing liberation and official recognition of their language.

To promote both the language and Deaf culture, Deaf Aotearoa organised the first New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week in 2007 and has subsequently run the event annually  in the first week of May, and with each year, it has grown in popularity and prominence.

New Zealand Sign Language Week is funded solely by donations and  grants and run with the help of our wonderful staff and volunteers.  Some of the ways our volunteers help are by manning stalls in shopping malls, street campaigns, teaching NZSL, helping with sign-story telling in libraries,  face painting at the 'family fun-days' and helping with local events.

If you would like to learn more about volunteering during NZSL Week then please fill in the NZSL Week Volunteer form