With Sign Language Rights, Our Children Can!
New Zealand’s Deaf community is marking this week’s International Week of the Deaf (IWD) with a renewed focus on
children. IWD is an annual initiative by the World Federation of the Deaf, for which Deaf Aotearoa is the New Zealand
representative.
Deaf Aotearoa President Robert Hewison says representing the collective voice of several thousand Deaf New Zealanders
makes IWD a significant occasion for the organisation.
“We’re proud to ensure the Deaf community’s needs and expectations are made clear,” he says.
Robert says this year’s IWD theme, ‘With Sign Language Rights, Our Children Can!’ is a clear reflection of what New
Zealand’s Deaf community has been saying for so long.
“Deaf children need access to sign language, to be able to connect with their friends and family, both Deaf and hearing,
using their own natural language.”
As a result, Deaf Aotearoa is celebrating the recent rapid expansion of First Signs, a service that provides New Zealand
Sign Language teaching and support for families of Deaf children aged 0 – 5. First Signs was established in 2014 and
initially available in limited locations. The service, based around home visits by First Signs facilitators, is now
available throughout the country, nine years ahead of its planned nationwide rollout.
“Deaf children need to be able to access education through sign language. First Signs gives those children and their
families access to the language which is critical to their emotional and mental wellbeing and development,” explains
Robert.
Workshops on IWD and this year’s child-focused theme are also being held for the Deaf community throughout New Zealand
this week. For more information on First Signs, visit www.deaf.org.nz/services/first-signs
ENDS