New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006

Introduction

The purpose of the New Zealand Sign Language Act is to promote and maintain the use of New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) by:

• declaring NZSL to be an official language of New Zealand
• providing for the use of NZSL in legal proceedings (such as courts)
• empowering the making of regulations setting competency standards for the interpretation in legal proceedings of NZSL
• stating principles to guide government departments in the promotion and use of NZSL.

The NZSL Act requires that a report must be prepared three years after the Act came into force (at some time after April 2009) on:

• the operation of the NZSL Act since its commencement; and
• whether any amendments to the scope and contents of the Act are necessary or desirable.

The NZSL Act is consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Article 21 of the Convention requires States Parties to take all appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities can exercise the right to freedom of expression and opinion, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas on an equal basis with others and through all forms of communication of their choice by (among other things) accepting and facilitating the use of sign languages in official interactions, and by recognising and promoting the use of sign languages.

Principles to guide government departments

The NZSL Act includes principles to guide government agencies so to promote access to government information and services by the Deaf community. In summary, these principles state that:

• the Deaf community should be consulted on matters relating to NZSL (including, for example, the promotion of the use of NZSL)
• NZSL should be used in the promotion to the public of government services and in the provision of information to the public
• government services and information should be made accessible to the Deaf community through the use of appropriate means (including the use of NZSL).

Using NZSL in legal proceedings

NZSL can be used in legal proceedings in courts and tribunals by people whose first or natural language is NZSL.

Some government action to remove communication barriers for Deaf people

The NZSL Act has implications for all government agencies providing, or potentially providing, any services for Deaf people.

As part of the annual reporting progress on implementing the New Zealand Disability Strategy, government agencies have been asked to say what they are doing to implement the NZSL Act. This reporting has been included as part of the Minister's progress report.

In response to an identified shortage of qualified NZSL interpreters, the government set aside $100,000 in March 2008 for 20 scholarships for the Diploma in Sign Language Interpreting through Auckland University of Technology. Four scholarships were taken up under this scheme in the current academic year. Applications for 2009 closed on 12 November 2008. These are in addition to six scholarships offered by the Ministry of Education. From 2009 applications for four of these are to be invited from students who are fluent in a language in addition to English, such as Māori or a Pasifika language.

Workbridge have set up video conferencing for remote video interpreting where the Deaf client can meet with any staff member or employer, and have the interpreter at another location signing via that video conferencing link. This is like watching the interpreter on a TV screen.

The Office for Disability Issues is working with deaf organisations and government agencies to develop a five-year action plan to improve deaf people's access to government services. The action plan with agreed priorities is planned to be developed during 2009.

The Office has also worked with the Sign Language Interpreters Association of New Zealand to produce the resource "Effective Communication with Deaf People - A guide to work with New Zealand Sign Language interpreters."

Further information