History

Deaf Aotearoa is awarded the Vittorio Ieralla Memorial Award. This award is given to a national Deaf association that has made an outstanding contribution to the World Federation of the Deaf over the last four years. This award is in recognition of Deaf Aotearoa’s achievements in promoting the human and linguistic rights of Deaf people and raising awareness of New Zealand Sign Language.

Deaf Aotearoa made a strong bid to host the next World Federation of the Deaf World Congress in 2023 with the support of the New Zealand Government. While New Zealand’s bid was recognised by the WFD’s site inspection team as the strongest of the four bids submitted, South Korea was successfully voted by the General Assembly as the host of the next Congress.

Mark Berry, former Deaf Aotearoa Executive Board member, was re-elected as president of the World Federation of the Deaf Youth Section.

In 2015 Mark was elected as Vice-President for the Youth Section and was elevated to President in 2017 after the previous President stepped down from the role.

General Manager-Strategy, Victoria Manning, was successfully elected to the World Federation of the Deaf Board 2019 – 2023. She was the second highest voted candidate, gaining 80 votes from the 88 voting countries. Deaf Aotearoa nominated Victoria as a highly-regarded leader and is the first New Zealander to serve on the WFD Board. Victoria was also the inaugural chairperson of the New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Board.

Successful week with nearly 500 taster classes held throughout the country

Deaf Aotearoa received the ‘Highly Commended’ Award in the Excellence in Community Based and/or Older People Services section at the Whanganui Health and Disability Awards. This is the 2nd award Deaf Aotearoa has received for Deaf Access Centres

Held in Christchurch, 6th – 8th May. The Theme was “The New Zealand Tomato Sauce”

• Deaf Access Centre opened in Gisborne
• Karen Pointon and Hemi Hema awarded QSM for services to the Deaf communiy
• DANZ received NZFDIC ‘Project of the Year 2011’ awarded for Deaf Access Centres
• NZSL Week – theme “I Am Deaf – Let’s Talk”

Every primary and secondary school throughout the country received a free DVD featuring God Defend NZ sung in all three official languages.

The first year that real Deaf people have been used in the design of the national campaign.

The report was written to describe the situation of Deaf people in NZ in 2010 and to plan for future services for the Deaf community. The report was funded by the ministry of health.

• President: Hemi Hema
• Social Enterprise (Think.Deaf.Discover & Think.Sign.Connect) launched

Held in Wellington at the Town Hall as part of NZSL Week. The theme was “Butterflies”

DANZ became a foundation member of the Convention Coalition set up to monitor the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

iSign was launched from recommendations from the Interpreter Service Redesign Report written by Tricia Fitzgerald to establish a more independent service

First NZSL Week. Aimed to raise awareness that New Zealand Sign Language is an official language and is part of New Zealand’s culture

Deaf Association and many others were involved in the advocacy at Government level for NZSL to become an official language. An active group of Christchurch Deaf community members approached Ruth Dyson, MP, which prompted the Office of Disability Issues to write the Act.

Theme “Planet of The Deaf”, 17th September at the Christchurch Town Hall

Held at the Waipuna Conference Centre in Auckland on 18th July, the theme was “To promote NZSL in Deaf Culture”

Held in Auckland from 16 – 18 July the theme was “Together We Prosper – The Way Forward” The keynote speaker was Breda Carty from Renwick College in Australia

Karen (now Pointon) has championed Maori Deaf rights and developments for many years. She has also had a long association with Deaf sport organisations, both regionally and nationally

Victoria Manning and Geoff Bridgman had worked in mental health for many years and advocated for better Deaf mental health services. Their drafted plan for a Deaf Mental Health Service was not accepted by the National Mental Health Planning Committee, as the Health Funding Agency wanted to spread any funding for Deaf services nationally and within mainstream services. So they proposed running a survey through branch offices to collect data on about 200 Deaf people nationwide. The survey involved questionnaires, recorded client data and interviews with selected DCMs

• Hilary McCormack awarded NZCM for services to the Deaf community
• Northland branch office opened
• Southland Outreach office opened in Invercargill

Dictionary launch. After years of successfully collaboration between Victoria University’s English Language Institute and Deaf community members, the NZSL Dictionary was published. Lead by Graeme Kennedy, the project team produced and coordinated thousands of signs to feature in the dictionary. Since then the dictionary has been updated and is now on-line

• First Deaf Counsellor: Victoria Manning starts in Wellington
• CEO: Francesca Holloway
• Jennifer Brain appointed Council Development Manager

After years of research and planning, Literacy Programme Coordinators were appointed to oversee the Adult Literacy Programme. This programme aimed to have adult reading and writing with training that works for Deaf available in every city in NZ. It looked at ways to train people to become skilled literacy teachers and ways to train literacy teachers so that they can teach NZSL. Classes were started around the country

• Patron: Judy Bailey, TV1 personality and news presenter
• Appointment of Interpreting Systems Manager
• Taranaki office opened

1995 Regional Hui for the Ako Report. The report was commissioned by Te Puni Kokiri and reported that Maori Deaf suffer on two levels, because of their dual status of being both Deaf and Maori. Acknowledgment had to be made of this dual status for Maori Deaf to fully exercise their tino rangatiratanga and to enable them to fulfil their aspirations in both the Maori and Deaf communities.The report made a number of recommendations around education programmes, coordination of services, access to information and the development of NZSL to incorporate Maori concepts

• Appointment of first Interpreter Coordinator
• President: Susan Hamilton
• First Maori Deaf Vice-President: Karen Mahanga
• Two Literacy Tutors appointed: Suzan Townshend and Helen Keane

Dr Rachel Locker McKee and Dr David McKee directed the first two-year full-time interpreting training course at AIT, which began in 1992. The first 8 students graduated in 1994, with four joining Deaf Association offices and the rest becoming freelance or educational interpreters

• First Maori Deaf Service Coordinator in Auckland
• Deaf Language Nest set up at KDEC
• Patron: Lance Cairns
• National Relay Service set up with Telecom

The aims of the Hui were to identify Maori Deaf needs and wants and how the Deaf Association could best service them and to elect three Maori Councillors. The Hui would also discuss the Maori and Deaf cultural issues that are important for Maori Deaf

• President: Angela Sew Hoy
• Jennifer Brain appointed Leadership Tutor

Held on 17th September at the Crowne Plaza, Auckland. The theme was “Sign of the Times”

The Deaf Association has always known the need for NZSL to be taught to hearing people – the families, friends and workmates of Deaf people and also staff and teachers in deaf education. NZSLTA was formed in 1992 with a membership of 20 tutors and one aim was to develop a national curriculum to teach NZSL.

The News at Six Subtitling launch

The Deaf View Conference was the first national Conference organised by Deaf people

• NZ On Air Report on Television Preferences of the Deaf
• National Editorial Board formed to work on NZSL dictionary
• Hamilton branch office opened
• Russell Jaffe review of NZAD organisation and services
• Patron: Lady Shirley McKenzie

Jennifer was instrumental in proposing and organising the Deaf View Conference

• First CEO: Ken Jillings
• NZ on Air Survey of Deaf people’s priorities for TV services
• NZAD Life Skills Trust set up
• NZSL Dictionary national meeting held

• Social Welfare special grant of $200,000 for ‘communication skills and services’
• First Life Skills Centre opened in Auckland by Ken Jillings

• Manawatu and Hawkes Bay offices opened
• First NZAD Living Skills Centre opened in Auckland

• New office opened in Dunedin
• Patron: Governor General Sir Paul Reeves

• First 5 year plan drawn up
• Interpreters appointed in Field offices (Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch)

As Service Coordinator, Ken developed the work of the Field Offices in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. Ken handled all the administration and finance and supervised the Field Offices.