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This strategy was influenced by research into the experiences of NZSL users in New Zealand, as well as lessons from the work to strengthen te reo Māori.
There is a need to target actions towards people who use NZSL (particularly the Deaf community), and the wider community (the hearing community or non-NZSL users), so that NZSL survives and thrives. This strategy calls these approaches ‘energise’ and ‘integration’:
Energise is focused on Deaf people and NZSL users, particularly children. It involves priorities and actions aimed at ensuring the survival of NZSL and ensuring early acquisition and use of NZSL by Deaf people and NZSL users
Integration is focused on people who do not use NZSL. It involves priorities and actions aimed at ensuring NZSL thrives, and promoting the awareness, acceptance and everyday use of NZSL.
It will be important that having two approaches does not impact on improving NZSL services to the Deaf community and other NZSL users. While the aim is for everyone to be aware of, using, and accepting of NZSL, this must not happen at the expense of Deaf people or NZSL users.
The Board, providers, and government must ensure that this work does not reroute limited resources away from deaf children or from children who need to acquire and access NZSL.
Energise
Energise is focused on Deaf people and NZSL users. It is about ensuring that Deaf people, and other NZSL users, particularly children can acquire and use NZSL across their lives.
Energise is about ensuring transmission of NZSL through family, whānau, communities, and education. Deaf people and NZSL users should be able to learn NZSL from an early age. Energise includes strengthening the use of NZSL in the home, recognising that most deaf children are born into hearing families and whānau.
Energise also involves building a strong language base for NZSL users, particularly children. Deaf people have the right to use and access information in NZSL as set out in the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006, while the UNCRPD also reflects the right to use and access information in sign language. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child also sets out that children have the right to enjoy their own culture, and to use their own language.
Energising NZSL involves researching and documenting the language. It is also about ensuring that NZSL appropriately reflects te ao Māori, reflecting the obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi / Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Integration
Integration is focused on people who do not use NZSL. It is aimed at ensuring non-NZSL users understand and accept the use of NZSL. It is also aimed at building New Zealand’s responsiveness to Deaf people and NZSL users.
Many barriers faced by NZSL users stem from the lack of awareness about NZSL, and the lack of information and service available in NZSL. Integration is also about building awareness and understanding of the importance of NZSL, and the systems, policies, and practices needed to support Deaf people and NZSL users, such as reasonable accommodations in the workplace, and how to book and work with NZSL interpreters.
The government and media as key drivers and influencers of change can support, facilitate, and enable wide-spread acceptance, understanding, acquisition and use of NZSL by the public.
Promoting understanding and recognition of the value of NZSL is important - especially given most deaf children are born into hearing families, will show the value of NZSL to all people’s lives. It is therefore important that everyone is aware of, understands, and values NZSL in New Zealand.