Let us support D/deaf children and their family’s connections with deaf communities to ensure early exposure to national sign languages and access to language-rich environments. Sign up for Sign Language Rights by sharing a video on social media about our vision for the future of our D/deaf communities.
Today, as we conclude the International Awareness of the Deaf People Week, we reflect on the progress we’ve made. While the lack of exposure of our Deaf Culture, sign language, and the Deaf community in New Zealand was disappointing, it also serves as a reminder of the work that still needs to be done. Let’s use this as a catalyst for positive change.
Each of us plays a crucial role in spreading our Deaf culture, our sign language, and the importance of communication in sign language and interpreters. Through education, health, and the public sectors, increasing videos and stories through social media, and improving technology, we can make our culture more friendly and accessible. Your contribution is not just valuable, it’s integral to our success.
Our mission to spread sign language continues. We’re actively promoting sign language classes and encouraging everyone to consider becoming an interpreter. The demand is high-we need more interpreters, trilingual interpreters, and teacher aides with sign language skills in the education sector, as well as staff with sign language skills in the health sector.
We, the Deaf people of the community, need to remind Government staff, agencies, and disability organisations that they need to listen to us, not control us. They will have to work with us as equals, not superiors, to allow everyone to enjoy, prepare for emergency disasters, stay in touch, gain employment, maintain equal finances, and receive updates and news throughout their daily lives.
We will continue to teach our D/deaf children, D/deaf children with disabilities, and hard-of-hearing children how to maintain/preserve sign language, culture, tradition, and heritage for the next generation.
We know that technology keeps changing and updating, but what counts to ensuring all IT students, developers, staff, and cyber experts understand our need for friendly accessibility and provide sign language and captioning, video chats, emails, or texts? We do know about the high cost of finances. Still, it is unnecessary to complain about the expensive or high cost of damage, repair or improvement of broadband quality for internet –network services. It is the people who come first, then financial.
Could Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, or any high-profile wealthy social media person take on the responsibility to learn more about our Deaf culture, sign language and technology-accessible needs? Your influence could make a significant difference.
Life in Eureka 