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NZSL Board New Zealand Sign Language Board / Te Oranga Reo Rota

NZSL Strategy

This Strategy guides the work required by the NZSL Board from 2018 to 2023 to maintain and promote the use of NZSL by Deaf people and other NZSL users. This Strategy is also intended to guide the NZSL work of government agencies and Crown entities.

Note: We are currently consulting on the Draft NZSL Strategy 2025 - 2030, which you can give your feedback on from 22 April - 2 June 2025.

The five internationally recognised planning priorities, that the Board has based this Strategy on, are:

  1. Acquisition: The learning of a language by children and adults.
  2. Use/Access: The ability to use a language in any or all domains of society, including within whānau.
  3. Attitude: The beliefs and opinions of language users and others towards that language.
  4. Documentation: The systematic recording of language use for research and reference.
  5. Status: How a language is regarded by its users and others.

Acquisition and use/access are the two key language priorities within the Strategy due to the importance of Deaf and other NZSL users being able to fully learn and use NZSL in all domains of society. The remaining three language priorities: attitude, documentation and status play essential supporting roles to the achievement of NZSL acquisition and use/access.

Acquisition and use/access are the two key language priorities within the Strategy due to the importance of Deaf and other NZSL users being able to fully learn and use NZSL in all domains of society. The remaining three language priorities: attitude, documentation and status play essential supporting roles to the achievement of NZSL acquisition and use/access.

Contents of the Strategy including NZSL videos

Read or download the NZSL Strategy 2018-2023 in NZSL and PDF using the links below

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