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This priority is about raising the profile and celebrating NZSL across society. This would include identifying NZSL role-models and celebrating significant anniversaries including the making of NZSL an official language of New Zealand.
This priority area is about promoting awareness, understanding and celebration of NZSL and NZSL users. It is also a call for action and change. This will be important to address any lack of information (or misinformation) about the value of NZSL to all New Zealanders.
It is important that NZSL is celebrated in New Zealand. Events such as NZSL Week have increased awareness and interest in NZSL, as have nationally significant events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. More is still needed to support NZSL to be a vibrant, thriving language, and to provide role-models for NZSL users that reflect them. This includes identifying and profiling role-models from Turi Māori, Deaf Pacific people, ethnic communities, rainbow, Deaf+, deafblind communities, and non-speaking NZSL users.
The year 2026 marks the 20th anniversary since NZSL was made an official language of New Zealand. The 25th and 30th year anniversaries are also within the life of this strategy.
Actions proposed for this priority area
- Work with the Deaf / NZSL community to increase visibility of role-models for different NZSL communities, and to identify and create opportunities for Deaf leadership / NZSL user leadership
- Profile stories by and with NZSL users about NZSL
- Create opportunities to raise public understanding and acknowledgement of the role of NZSL in the lives of Deaf people and NZSL users
- Create opportunities for NZSL users, families / whānau and groups to come together to enhance use of NZSL (such as NZSL spaces, Deaf spaces)
- Showcase activities that promote NZSL and work with media to get NZSL-related stories into mainstream and Māori-specific media
- Develop events to raise the profile of NZSL, and to celebrate significant anniversaries of the formal recognition of NZSL as an official language of New Zealand
- Grow documentation of NZSL, and NZSL resources, including te ao Māori resources / kete kōrero, and resources for different Deaf cultural communities, including Pacific communities