My Relationship to NZSL

Cha’nel Kaa-Luke (she/they) 

Kia Ora! My name is Cha’nel, and I’m a Deaf university student! Why is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) important to me? Well, here’s three reasons: for people like me, it provides access to my university classes; it helped me build my identity, a sense of community, and who I am; and finally, it helps provide equal opportunities for Deaf people. With NZSL becoming an official language on 6 April 2006, it sits alongside Te Reo Māori as the two recognised languages in Aotearoa (English is the predominant language but not an official one!). The Deaf Community has its own language, people, and culture. Although we have come a long way from NZSL becoming an official language, we still have a way to go regarding awareness, accessibility, breaking down stigma about Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HoH) people, and creating separate expressive signs for Māori and LGBTQIA+. With approximately 20,000 people who use NZSL daily, it is not just a language, it is a way of life that has created its own ecosystem in the community, where we can thrive among peers like us. The adaptability that we take on board outside of that takes immense energy and understanding, and a lot of the time that is not understood. 

I want to applaud (big hand waves!!!) Te Herenga Waka (Victoria University) for offering NZSL as a subject; it is a starting point for others to attend a tertiary institution where there is already an awareness of the language and how it works, hence why this was my first choice of uni! Alongside it being taught, you are slowly pulled into a universe where all it takes for a Deaf/HoH person to succeed is to be given the right tools to achieve at the same standard as their peers. 

There is nothing that irks me more when someone is amazed by me—a Māori, Deaf person taking a science degree—yeah, it’s hard, but that goes for anyone else who might have obstacles, and I guarantee you there will be. 

A piece of advice that I would give to people is to not assume that all Deaf people are the same. Whether they are capable of speech or lip reading, or if they know sign language or not, and don’t fault them for it. They may not have had the benefit of having others around them who do that, or the knowledge that there was such a thing. Like I said, we still have a ways to go, including in education. We come from all different walks of life to find our place in the world, and although I cannot speak on behalf of the whole community, NZSL is a part of the way I live. It is for anyone and everyone, so come and immerse yourself in our Deaf Clubs, sports, meetups and groups—throwing yourself in the deep end is the best way to practice.