Providing access to vital information about emergencies in NZSL

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31st July 2023

My name is Lara Draper, General Manager for Adults and Seniors at Deaf Aotearoa. Recently Lachlan Keating, Chief Executive, and I went to Jeju, South Korea to attend the World Federation of the Deaf Congress. There were about 2,000 people attending from 101 different countries.

On the first day of the congress, Lachlan and I presented about how in New Zealand we have improved access to vital emergency information. We explained that New Zealand was vulnerable to natural emergencies such as earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and flooding. And not to forget, we also went through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some of you may remember the Christchurch Earthquakes. At that time there was no access to information in NZSL. No NZSL Interpreters were booked. The Deaf Community struggled to get access to the information that they needed.

Since then, Deaf Aotearoa has worked together with NEMA (National Emergency Management Agency) to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and approve access to information for the Deaf Community. For example; NZSL Interpreters are used on the screen at Press Briefings. This was clear and effective during the COVID-19 pandemic when Jacinda Adern, Prime Minister of New Zealand, gave her daily updates.

There have also been some resources developed such as the 25 Signs to know in an Emergency. This is a useful resource for those who work in Emergency Services to be able to download or grab a physical copy of this booklet.

We also have poster guidelines for camera operators to know how to frame the shot to include the NZSL Interpreter.

We explained all this during our presentation, and we also showed a video of Anthony Frith from NEMA explaining his relationship with Deaf Aotearoa. On their Civil Defence website, they have over 70 videos about being prepared in case of an emergency, and what to do during an emergency, and also after an emergency.

After the presentation, there was an opportunity for the audience to ask questions. We also gave them ideas on how they can return to their own countries and advocate for better access to information in their own sign languages.

Let's Talk - Emergencies

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I am Deaf, Let’s talk, 25 Signs to Learn for Emergencies.

Read the resource online, and explore our website for related NZSL video resources!

Or download the resource as a PDF. There are QR codes that will take you to our NZSL video resources.

Download the PDF now

Media release: NZSL is essential to “Get Ready” for emergencies

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19th May 2022

Deaf people across Aotearoa New Zealand will now have access to comprehensive advice about emergency preparedness, with New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week marking the launch of Get Ready in NZSL by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in partnership with Deaf Aotearoa.

Getready.govt.nz supports individuals, whānau, communities, schools and businesses to get ready for, respond to and recover from emergency events. Get Ready in NZSL sees all life safety and emergency preparedness advice across almost the website translated into NZSL.

“Everyone has a right to accessible information before, during and after emergencies. This initiative means that Deaf people now have access to the same information as everybody else about how to get prepared for emergencies,” says NEMA Chief Executive Dave Gawn.

“These improvements reflect NZSL’s status as one of Aotearoa’s three official languages, while empowering Deaf people to prepare themselves and their whānau for emergencies.

Click here to read more at the original web page at www.civildefence.govt.nz

Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management

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16th September 2019

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/