Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management
The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (MCDEM) and Deaf Aotearoa wish to announce that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide fully accessible information to the Deaf community.
When an emergency or disaster occurs, safety information is always sent out to the public. Typically, this information was broadcast through spoken English, often via the media, which means Deaf people have experienced barriers accessing this information easily. This new MoU means these barriers will now be removed so that when an emergency or disaster happens, information disseminated by officials in spoken English will also be simultaneously interpreted into New Zealand Sign Language. At the same time, safety information will be released in easy-to-read English in various ways, but primarily online.
The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management is also committed to working with Deaf Aotearoa to learn about Deaf culture and New Zealand Sign Language. The organisations will work together to develop resources that focus on emergency preparedness for Deaf people, which is great news for the Deaf community!
If you want more information, please read the full document here (also available in New Zealand Sign Language): https://www.civildefence.govt.nz/about/news-and-events/news/deaf-communities-to-get-better-emergency-information/