NZ to officially recognise NZSL

[Victoria Manning]

Government To Recognise NZ Sign Language

Press Release by New Zealand Government at 11:18, 24-10-2003

The government has signalled its intention to recognise New Zealand Sign
Language as the third official language of New Zealand.

This week Cabinet agreed to the introduction of a NZ Sign Language Bill
to Parliament by the end of the year.

Minister for Disability Issues Ruth Dyson says the purpose of official
recognition is to acknowledge Deaf people ª±  language as a unique New
Zealand language and give it equal status to that of spoken languages.

 ϴ he decision to officially recognise NZ Sign language represents a
significant step forwards for the Deaf  community in New Zealand, as it
is the first language for a large number of Deaf New Zealanders.  The
Deaf community, and the Deaf Association of New Zealand, have been
seeking official recognition of their language for 20 years.

 œ| Z Sign Language is the basis of Deaf culture.  It is essential for
effective daily communication and participation in society.  Official
recognition will improve acknowledgement of NZ Sign Language as a real
language and decrease injustices experienced by Deaf people. There are
28,000 people in NZ who use NZ Sign Language.

 ϴ he immediate effect of the Bill, once it is passed into law, will be
to provide people with the right to use NZ Sign Language in any legal
proceedings, including in court.

 ω urther developments will proceed gradually, and Cabinet has also
agreed to look at ways to improve access to NZ Sign Language in
education, health, employment and public broadcasting, as well as for
Maori Deaf, m  Ruth Dyson said.


Contact Pip Desmond, press secretary, phone (04) 471 9258, 0274 575 894,
fax (04) 470 6784, email: pip.desmond at parliament.govt.nz
OR
Victoria Manning, Office for Disabiltiy Issues,
Victoria.Manning001 at msd.govt.nz


New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL):  Questions and Answers

Why is the Government introducing this bill?
Consultation with Deaf New Zealanders revealed serious difficulties with
both the status of NZSL and access to government services under the
current law. Acknowledgement of NZSL as a real language equal to that of
spoken languages is very poor, and this results in injustices.  For
example, Deaf people reported being denied the use of interpreters in
court proceedings and facing disorderly conduct charges where their use
of NZSL was misinterpreted as aggressive behaviour. In medical settings,
risks of misdiagnosis and lack of informed consent are very high without
the use of qualified NZSL interpreters.

The Labour Party ª±  Manifesto (1999) states that Labour will  œ° ecognise
New Zealand Sign Language as an official language m   The Deaf community,
including the Deaf Association of New Zealand, has sought official
recognition of their native language for 20 years.

When will it take effect if passed?
The bill will be introduced to the House in December 2003 and will then
proceed to select committee.  Allowing for the select committee process,
the Government aims for the bill to come into force on 1 January 2005.

How will the Bill help Deaf people and the Deaf community?
The bill is expected to benefit Deaf New Zealanders by enabling their
own unique language to be accorded equal status with that of spoken
languages and by providing better access to justice. Maori Deaf report
that official recognition of NZSL will increase the likelihood of their
being able to use NZSL at hui, marae events, and tangi, and increase
their access to Maori language and culture, including whakapapa.

What will the impact be on people who are not deaf?
Parents of deaf children will benefit through recognition of the first
language of their children (about 95% of deaf children are born to
hearing parents). Hearing people with Deaf family members will also
benefit through a tool for inclusion of Deaf family members in family
and community life.

Society in general will benefit from the greater participation in, and
contribution to, New Zealand society by Deaf New Zealanders.  Society
will also benefit from a greater appreciation of Deaf people ª±  culture,
which includes their unique language. The proposal will not impose
specific obligations on the private sector.

Is Sign Language an official language in any other country?
The European Parliament has passed a resolution calling for legislation
to recognise sign languages and some member States have done so,
including Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Ireland,
Portugal and Greece.  Sign language is also officially recognised by
some states and provinces in Canada and the United States of America


Is NZSL a real language?
Yes. It is a wholly visual language with its own grammatical structure
different to that of English and Maori. NZSL is not an improvised
sequence of gestures or mime. Like all other human languages it is able
to communicate a full range of ideas and to serve a wide range of
functions. NZSL, being wholly visual, is the most accessible language
for Deaf people.

How many people use NZSL in New Zealand?
Census data shows that NZSL is used by 28,000 New Zealanders (including
both Deaf and hearing people) and there are at least 210,000 deaf or
hearing impaired people in New Zealand.

Are sign languages universal?
No, sign languages are not universal. NZSL is unique to New Zealand and
is not used anywhere else in the world. NZSL is also unique in that it
includes signs which express concepts from Maori culture, and Maori Deaf
usually identify as belonging to the Deaf community.

What is Deaf culture?
NZSL is central to Deaf culture. The capitalised  œm  is used to denote a
distinct cultural group of people who are deaf, use NZSL as their first
or preferred language, and identify with the Deaf community and Deaf
culture. Deaf culture, like all cultures, incorporates a rich body of
distinct Deaf customs, mannerisms, art, humour and history. The New
Zealand Deaf community is a vibrant and active community that come
together regularly at Deaf clubs, annual Deaf sports event, conferences,
workshops, and other social gatherings.

How will this Bill affect the status of English and Maori as New
Zealand ª±  official languages?
There are two official languages in New Zealand: English and Maori. The
status of these languages would not be affected by the NZSL Bill.
Maori Deaf report that official recognition of NZSL will increase the
likelihood of their being able to use NZSL at hui, marae events, and
tangi, and therefore increase their access to Maori language and
culture, including whakapapa.

Will Braille and other languages be given official status?
No. Braille is the English language in code, so it is not a different
language.  NZSL is a language in its own right with its own grammatical
structure and linguistic rules different to that of English or Maori.

There is a wide range of other languages spoken in New Zealand. These
languages generally share a common feature, namely, they have legal
status in their home countries or countries of origin.  Official
recognition of NZSL will provide an equality of language status with
those other languages, through recognition in its home country.


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