There was a lot happening in New Zealand in 1977. The Beehive was officially opened. Fair Go was on TV for the first time. The first Georgie Pie restaurant opened. And the first meeting of the “New Zealand Association of the Deaf” was held. Prime Minister Robert Muldoon sent his apologies!
Over the last 40 years our organisation has grown steadily. The first staff member was employed in 1980. Today, Deaf Aotearoa has 14 offices throughout the country, with more than 70 staff providing a wide range of services and support to Deaf people. The organisation has changed its name to Deaf Association of New Zealand and then again to Deaf Aotearoa New Zealand.
Through all this, it has always been striving to: create opportunities for Deaf people to achieve their aspirations.
We are proud of what we have achieved over the last 40 years, whether it’s providing access to interpreters, supporting Deaf people to find jobs, or the annual celebration of New Zealand Sign Language Week.
Here are some highlights from our 40-year journey and a glimpse of our future Deaf community.
Read the Document online (includes NZSL videos)
Read and/or download the report as a PDF
(You will need Acrobat Reader 6 (or later). Acrobat Reader is free to download
