Deaf Aotearoa is pleased to see the Government’s recent announcement, by the Ministers for Disability Issues and Health, regarding reforms to New Zealand’s disability support system and the establishment of legislation to ensure access for Deaf and disabled New Zealanders. Deaf Aotearoa Chief Executive, Lachlan Keating, says the Government’s planned …
New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) is one of Aotearoa’s official languages yet only about 0.5% of the population are able to use it to hold a conversation. While there have been significant improvements over the past 30 years in creating Deaf-inclusive environments, there is still more work to be done. …
Westpac has become New Zealand’s first bank to offer free in-branch sign language interpreters for Deaf customers. Approximately 4,500 Deaf Kiwis use New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) as their first or preferred form of communication and more than 20,000 people in total use NZSL – including parents and family members who use it with their deaf family member. Because NZSL is a critical form of communication …
New Zealand’s best and brightest have been recognised for their hard work in fighting for the rights, education, and access for the Deaf community in this year’s annual NZSL Awards. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the annual awards ceremony is taking on a more personal flavour in 2020 with each recipient …
Michael Pulman – 5th June 2020 Physically worn down, depressed, close to giving up all hope and in desperate need for support. That was the life for Andrew Willoughby when Deaf Aotearoa came into his life. It had all come to head in Nelson Hospital. Facing a lengthy stay in …
Michael Pulman – 27th May 2020 A willingness to think differently, finding new ways to upskill Deaf people, and supporting businesses is a key priority for the employment team at Deaf Aotearoa. For many businesses, hiring a Deaf employee often presents their very first interaction with a Deaf person and …
New Zealand Sign Language interpreters will be the main image on screen in a new TV channel showing Covid-19 briefings for the deaf and hard of hearing. Deaf Aotearoa and iSign launched the NZSL full-screen broadcast on Monday in partnership with TVNZ and Kordia. It will show the daily Government …
KŌRERO Alan Wendt: The Interpreter by Dale Husband | May 3, 2020 | 0 | 14 min read Alan Wendt, at the NZ Sign Language Awards, 2018. (Photo by Mark Tantrum/ http://marktantrum.com) For many years, the Wendt name has been widely known in Aotearoa and well beyond because of Albert Wendt, a novelist and poet who brought a …
The Prime Minister has personally thanked the New Zealand Sign Language interpreters that will be a familiar face to many Kiwis who follow the government’s daily covid-19 briefings. Six highly-skilled and experienced NZSL interpreters are working on the government Covid-19 response. They work seven-hour shifts and were rostered across a …
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 …