Chief Executive Rachel Noble says the recent review of the 2006 NZSL Act points out nothing new and offers no solutions to how government agencies could better work with the Deaf community to address the issues.

“While there have been some advancements, overall Deaf people are no better off than they were before the Act was written,” says Ms Noble. “By offering no solutions to major issues, like accessibility to sign language interpreters, this review denies Deaf people the ability to have a voice, to act as a partner or even to have a lead role in improving their status in New Zealand society”.

The review was conducted to assess how government agencies are implementing the aims of the Act and suggest improvements that may be needed. Deaf people and groups throughout the country made submissions to the Office of Disability Issues highlighting key areas of concern, including the need for Deaf people to have a leadership role in Deaf issues, a strong NZSL infrastructure and improved access to interpreters. They called for a national sign language strategy to provide some consistency across government departments.

“In 2006, the Deaf Community of New Zealand rejoiced in the passing of the NZSL Act. We celebrated the recognition of our language and culture, the acknowledgement of the history of oppression experienced by the community and at last, held high hopes for improved access to information and services for Deaf,” says Ms Noble.

“However, the NZSL Act review fails to respond to the overwhelming call from the Deaf community to broaden the scope of the Act beyond justice to include sectors like education and health. Neither does it address the systematic barriers and inefficiencies around the provision of sign language interpreting services.”

Also of concern for the community is the blatant disrespect for Deaf people as equal citizens in New Zealand. “The key principle of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the New Zealand Disability Strategy, 'nothing about us without us,' is ignored. The review suggests that Government Ministers could model best practice by including a NZSL greeting at all official events, as is done in Māori, whether or not the content of the minister's portfolio is relevant to Deaf people.”

“We Deaf are not interested in symbolic use of NZSL at the beginning of ministerial presentations, we are more interested in the content of the Minister’s portfolios and their plans to engage with the Deaf community to find effective solutions to our issues.”

Ms Noble says the Deaf community is calling for the Disability Ministerial Committee to engage with them, to understand what the submitters were saying.

We have recently compiled all the language sections from 2004-2010 into a single document, Language Policy and Practice in New Zealand 2004-2010. It is a useful reminder of developments over that period.  We are currently working on the review for 2011, and would welcome any suggestions as to what should be included. Please email to Catriona Scannell.

Interest in having a week to celebrate and share their language next year has been expressed by the Fijian, Cook Island, Niuean, Chinese and Indian communities.  Māori Language Week is set for 23-27 July,  Samoan Language Week on 27 May – 2 June, Tokelau Language Week on 29 October-2 November and NZ Sign Language Week on 30 April to 6 May 2012. If your community is planning a language week, let us know the date and we will help you to publicise it.  Email nzdiversity@hrc.co.nz with the details.  If you want to include schools, please note that the school terms next year are Term 1,30 January-5 April, Term 2, 23 April-29 June, Term 3, 16 July-28 September and Term 4, 15 October-14 December. NCEA exams start at the end of October.

The Trusts is concerned about the Early Childhood Education Taskforce’s report of June 2011 and how the government might respond. In their Statement of Claim, the Trust say they have not been provided protection and autonomy by the Ministry of Education and are forced to fit within mainstream early childhood education frameworks. For example Kōhanga Reo are required to employ qualified early childhood educators and funding is allocated on the bases of the number of qualified teachers. This conflicts with the qualifications devised by the Trust specifically to provide for the kaupapa of parents and whānau learning alongside children.

The Statement of Claim notes the Trust has not been given sufficient priority in consultations with the government and their requests to participate in the research for the Taskforce report were ignored.

The Tribunal granted urgency to hearing the Trust’s claim on the basis that:

• The Trust Board could demonstrate it was suffering or likely to suffer significant and irreversible prejudice as a result of current or pending Crown action or policy. In particular:

1. reputational damage by the ECE Taskforce Report
2. the Trust Board was not consulted by the Minister of Education or officials
3. there is likely to be a reduction in enrolments for kohanga reo in 2012 and 2013 with long term prejudice to te reo Maori
4. there is an imminent likelihood the Crown will make, and is making, decisions on the basis of the Taskforce's recommendations, particularly around funding in preparation for the budget rounds commencing in December 2011.

• There is no alternative remedy for the Trust and the Crown has not offered sufficient options
• The claim is very serious as it involved nearly 10,000 children and the health of te reo Māori

The hearing is expected to begin in February 2012.

The programme was launched by the newly-formed Aotearoa Fijian Teachers Association. Late last year the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs updated the Fijian community in Wellington on the Pacific Languages Framework and on a language project developed in Auckland. Inspired by what they heard, Wellington Fijian community representatives, Tina McNicholas and Jone Naikatini, started work on an action plan to pilot a language project in Wellington.

After consulting with teachers, who are part of the Wellington Fiji community network, and forming a working group, Na Vuli Vosa Vakaviti was born.

Na Vuli Vosa Vakaviti is a specially-designed ten-week language course aimed at New Zealand-born Fijian children. Classes are held over two hours every fortnight and the first class was held on 20 August with 22 children in attendance.

This initiative is directly aligned with the Pacific Languages Framework project which aims to revitalise, promote and maintain the use of Pacific languages in New Zealand. It aims to provide leadership and direction for community action plans, and also intends to improve the coordination between government and Pacific communities.

From August to early September the Ministry held fono around the country to ensure communities were consulted as widely as possible. The Ministry’s Theresa Fabricius, who’s leading the fono programme, said the meetings have been helpful especially in promoting the idea of community action plans. “We need to be absolutely sure that what we are proposing, as a way of revitalising our languages, is something that will work for communities. The Fijian language course is a perfect example of government working with Pacific communities to achieve their aspirations for language revitalisation.”

For more information visit the  Pacific Languages Framework website.

The resource, “Change, Loss and Grief” was launched on 12 October as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.

The resource is the result of work supported by Deaf Aotearoa and the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand. This is the first time the two organisations have worked together to produce a DVD in sign language and Deaf Aotearoa hopes to develop similar resources in the future.

“We are extremely pleased to have been able to assist Deaf Aotearoa with the promotion and distribution of this much needed resource” says Judi Clements, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation.

Deaf Aotearoa Chief Executive Rachel Noble says the need for the DVD was driven by individuals close to the Deaf community members in Christchurch.

 “This project has been a voluntary one, which has had the support and buy-in from a number of different organisations and individuals. There was a great need for a resource of this kind after a series of tragic events and it is even more pertinent now following the devastating effects of February’s earthquake in Christchurch and the resulting loss of life,” says Ms Noble.

“The DVD is designed to help the Deaf community understand in their natural language the processes of grief and how if can affect people.”

“Change, Loss and Grief” is filmed in NZSL with English subtitles. It features members of the Deaf community sharing their experiences of loss and change. Expert advice is provided by retired Deaf Counsellor Richard Townshend and Mental Health Educator Ainslee Coates.

The DVD was created by Creative Arts Director Jill Penn and film-makers Meshell Edgecombe and Sue Penman. To find out how to get a copy of the DVD please visit Deaf Aotearoa NZ online.

The symposium will be held on on Monday 28 November from  2pm – 4pm  at the Hunter Council Chamber, Level 2 Hunter Building, Gate 2 Kelburn Parade,Victoria University of Wellington.

This symposium focuses on prospects and challenges in building a multilingual New Zealand, with keynote speaker Professor Bernard Spolsky, Emeritus Professor Bar-Ilan University. It will be particularly concerned with developing habitats for the survival of Te Reo Māori, Le Gagana Samoa and other Pasifika languages.

As seating is limited, RSVPs are essential before Wednesday 23 November to Rochelle Nafatali, EA to the AVC (Pasifika), (04) 463 9522.

For more information visit the Victoria University of Wellington website.

The TPDL programme is a full-year Ministry of Education funded programme for new or experienced language teachers throughout NZ. It is available to teachers of Years 7-10 and enables teachers to learn / up-skill in a language and develop their teaching in ways that impact positively on student learning.

TPDL provides:

• support to develop an inquiry approach to teaching
• a university course customised for busy teachers

There are 20 places for teachers of Cook Islands Maori, Niuean, Samoan, Tokelauan, Tongan, and 60 places for teachers of Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish. 

For more information go to the Ministry of Education website or contact tpdl@auckland.ac.nz.

Open to all ages, all levels (gold coin donation). One to one or small groups. Often we have a topic or a theme to make it more interesting.

19 November - Chopsticks 筷子

26 November - Chinese Silk  中国织绸

(Topics may vary subject to availability)

This will be held in Committee Room One, Wellington City Council, 101 Wakefield Street. Entry is by gold coin donation. There will be two films shown:

• 7-7:30pm- Documentary—Waterside Region South of the Yangtze River 江南水乡
• 7:30 Documentary– A Review of the Centennial Development of China’s Film Industry 百年光影 (100 minutes with English subtitles)