Wellington Deaf Society (WDS) and Manawatū Deaf Society jointly organised a Deaf-led NZSL Family Camp from 2 to 4 May 2025 at El Rancho, Kapiti Coast. It was the first time the two Deaf Clubs had come together to organise a camp for Deaf children and their whānau from across Wellington, Wairarapa, and Manawatū–Whanganui. A Deaf youth led the organisation of this camp over a ten-month period.
Organisation: Wellington Deaf Society and Manawatu Deaf Society
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Ninety-three people attended the camp:
- 70 participants from 18 families
- 42 children, including 17 Deaf or hard of hearing children (30 were aged under 12, and 13 were teenagers)
- 17 camp leaders (14 were Deaf including five leaders aged 18-30)
- 6 NZSL interpreters (including two graduate interpreters from iSign).
Camp attendees participated in a range of action-packed activities.
On Friday night there was:
- a BBQ welcome dinner
- icebreaker games
- NZSL bedtime stories.
On Saturday there was:
- a scavenger hunt
- horse riding
- rock climbing
- NZSL tuition
- arts
- drama performances
- Deaf panel
- Deaf film
- bedtime stories.
On Sunday there was:
- the Deaf Deaf World workshop
- a special NZSL Week luncheon, with 15 members of the Deaf community joining in.
Feedback
Fifteen out of 18 families responded to a survey and provided feedback.
“I hope the community continues to do the camp each year for children, just watching them play and build relationships in such an accepting environment is priceless”.
“Such an incredible weekend, it has really got me thinking quite deeply. Also I felt so included...we will definitely attend in the future!”
“Thank you for having a full but relaxed programme, it was lovely to see families being able to choose to participate or not”.
One parent said the experience was the opportunity to experience “what [it was] like to be deaf, rather than being told”.
One family appreciated the opportunity to be part of a “proud Deaf space”. They also valued learning about other Deaf lives, such as the panel: “We appreciated the Q&A session, while confronting, the ability to hear experiences from others was invaluable”. The Deaf Deaf World activity was a favourite for some families, as it was done entirely in NZSL.
Two families appreciated the camp being held immediately just before NZSL Week 2025. They noted that their children felt more confident using NZSL afterwards. Some even presented to their classes about the camp during NZSL Week celebrations at school: “I loved how it was at the beginning of NZSL Week. The kids have been teaching their class at school NZSL each day”.
Several families commented that their knowledge of and confidence in using NZSL and raising a Deaf child has improved as a result of attending the camp. Moreover, some noted that the inclusivity of different language levels and integration of NZSL into family-friendly activities helped them feel more comfortable and made learning flow more easily: “Thank you so much for all the effort putting that camp on. It is so beneficial for my family and our confidence and success in raising a deaf daughter. Our sign has improved too! Woohoo”.
Two parents also shared that their children didn’t want to leave at the end of the camp – with one Deaf child commenting “I feel like I belong”. Another parent said “My son had such a great time that he didn’t want to leave”.