Deaf community to be consulted on NZSL Act but advocate fears they will be ignored

Tuesday, 13 September 2022

The consultation will be done through a process led in their language.

The first New Zealand Sign Language-led consultation to amend current legislation has opened, but advocates fear their advice will be ignored.

The Ministry for Social Development and the Office for Disability Issues are talking with the Deaf community to get their ideas to improve the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006.

However, a disability advocate is concerned feedback won't be taken on board because they have felt ignored in the past.

The purpose of the Act as it stands is to promote and maintain the language by declaring it an official language, including using it in government agencies, and provide the use of NZSL in legal proceedings.

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Minister for Disability Issues Poto Williams is opening an NZSL-led consultation for the New Zealand Sign Language Act.

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Minister for Disability Issues Poto Williams said it was time to build on progress since 2006 and “promote the taonga” of the language.

“To reflect the Government’s commitment to strengthening the partnership between the Government and the Deaf community, we will collectively consider amending the NZSL,” she said.

“The consultation will be an NZSL-first approach, with options for people in the Deaf community to attend in-person meetings held primarily in NZSL.”

Lead Access Matters campaigner Juliana Carvalho is concerned advice from the Deaf community may be ignored as the government looks to amend the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006.

Some ideas to change the act include making the NZSL Board a statutory ministerial advisory group which means its existence and functions will be written into the amended legislation and their role will include monitoring how well the act is serving the community and wider public.

The New Zealand Sign Language Board, which was established in 2015 and reports to the Minister for Disability Issues, said it fully supports the review of the NZSL Act.

“The review proposes stronger accountability and gives greater status to NZSL in New Zealand. Importantly, it promotes and affirms the role of Deaf people in leadership roles to maintain and promote NZSL.”

The engagement material for consultation has been specifically designed for the Deaf community rather than being adapted from a written English script.

The board said it would also work alongside Government to promote the upcoming engagement meetings and consultation to ensure that the Deaf community have a voice.

“The NZSL-led approach to this engagement validates the role of Deaf people as core users of New Zealand Sign Language,” it said.

However, one disability advocate, who has been working with the Government for more than two years on a separate accessibility legislation, is concerned the ideas and recommendations will be ignored.

Juliana Carvalho, who is disabled and the lead Access Matters campaigner, said advice is often sought but rarely taken.

“You get so many examples of recommendations made by the community and they just don’t listen. It’s really frustrating,” she said.

She fears that the Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill as it stands will come up with recommendations that the Government will disregard.

After two-and-a-half years working with the Ministry of Social Development, Carvalho said the government agency “simply disregarded” what the community was asking for in accessibility legislation, which included enforceability, standards, a notification system and a dispute resolution process.

“My hopes and dreams would be that they would be willing to address the recommendations and the outcome of those consultations,” she said. “What we see is a long time in consultation, but they simply disregard the recommendations.”

The Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill is at the select committee stage taking submissions.

Access Matters campaigners have created a submission toolkit guide to help people make a submission.

The consultation period is now open for the New Zealand Sign Language Act and closes on November 11.

A bill to amend the NZSL Act is expected to be introduced into the House in mid-2023.