NZSL Week is coming up!
4th–10th May 🤟

We’re SO excited to celebrate! This is your chance to learn something new, connect with others, and be part of a more inclusive Aotearoa!

Come join us, give it a go, and remember, every sign counts!

🎉 Twenty years of NZSL as an official language of Aotearoa! On 6 April 2006, history was made. Our language. Our identity. Our right. Here's to the next twenty years and beyond🤟

A little something from us, our Deaf Aotearoa staff signed 06.04.06 together to mark this special milestone. From our hands to yours!

Twenty years ago, history was made — and Hon. Ruth Dyson was right there helping make it happen.

As Minister for Disability Issues, she stood in Parliament and fought for us. She introduced the New Zealand Sign Language Bill and made sure our voices, our hands, were heard every step of the way.

And interviewing her today is someone who was also there on that historic day — our very own Erica, who witnessed the passing of the NZSL Act 20 years ago.

Our exclusive interview with Hon. Ruth Dyson, hosted by Erica, is out now. Watch it. Share it. Remember it.

Our language. Our identity. Our right. Then, now, and always. This is more than history. This is us.

As we mark 20 years of NZSL, this page on our nzsignlanguage.nz's website brings together stories from across the community—stories of advocacy and pride, of everyday life and extraordinary change. These are the voices, hands, and experiences that give NZSL its life.

Twenty years on, NZSL’s journey reminds us to honour the past, commit to action in the present, and be honest about what still needs to change. While we celebrate what has been achieved, we also recognise that the future of NZSL is not guaranteed—it depends on the choices we make next. This is A Legacy In Our Hands.

Keep checking back as we continue to collect and share more stories!

Erica, Shannon, and Alana have shared their stories on our social media, reflecting on the day New Zealand Sign Language became an official language on 6 April 2006.

We’d love to see your story too!

Were you there at Parliament? How has NZSL being an official language shaped your life?

Share a NZSL video with us, and we’ll feature it on our 20 Years of NZSL page!

See their stories below:
📺 Erica's Story

📺 Shannon's story

📺 Alana's Story

🎟️ In‑person tickets for the NZSL Awards have now closed.

Thank you to everyone who secured a seat - we can’t wait to celebrate together!

✨ The excitement continues because livestream tickets for the NZSL Awards are now open.

💻 Livestream tickets are $50 each, and you can watch live from anywhere - across Aotearoa or overseas.

⏰ Please note: Livestream ticket sales close on Friday, 8th May.

Why join us?
This is a powerful night of celebration.

We’ll be celebrating NZSL, recognising outstanding people and organisations, and honouring the strength, legacy, and diversity of our Deaf community.

🎉 Livestream tickets are available now.

🤝 We also want to say a great big thank you to our sponsors who are helping make this event happen. We cannot wait to introduce them to you over the coming weeks.

We’d love for you to be part of this special night - wherever you are.

Ngā mihi nui, and we’ll see you online.

Our team is busy gearing up as preparations ramp up!

On the move creating content for NZSL Week! ✨

Last Friday, we travelled between locations with NZSL Hero Rosie and our Communications & Engagement team, capturing stories, moments, and meaning that celebrate NZSL and the community behind it.

We can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on — watch this space for NZSL Week 👀

Sign of the Times is the story of New Zealand's Deaf community, their language, culture, and the official recognition of New Zealand Sign Language in 2006.

Told from the heart of the Deaf community, the film celebrates the Deaf New Zealander's who fought to have their language recognised.

The film is in NZSL with English subtitles.

When: Saturday 9th May, 12:30 - 1:30 PM
Where: Soundings Theatre, Level 2, Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington
Cost: FREE!

Did you know that our website has an Events calendar, that you can add your events yourself on our nzsignlanguage.nz's website?!

It doesn’t have to be just for NZSL Week either, you can submit your accessible event any time throughout the year!

There is a form for you to fill in all the information about your event, and this will be sent to our Communications team to check before being approved and published on the website.

All events will need to checked by our team first before being published, so do not expect to see your recently submitted event published on the website immediately. Our team is busy, especially at this time of the year, so we ask for your patience.

We are excited to see all the community event submissions! It’s an easy process.