New Zealand Sign Language:

Soon to be a third official language for New Zealand.

Deaf community meetings: UpdateDecember 2003

1. What Government have agreed to do (details)

2. Update on work since May 2003,

and some issues that came up in this work

3. How YOU can influence the NZSL Bill

4. Questions & discussion

Today’s meeting agenda:

1. What Government have agreed to do

Cabinet have agreed to

1. Draft a NZSL Bill

2. Do more work on:

i. NZSL interpreters issues

ii. Education, health, work and television issues

Draft NZSL Bill, will say

1. NZSL will be an official language, also promotion & maintenance of NZSL

2. Right to use NZSL in legal proceedings

3. NZSL interpreters in legal proceedings must be competent

4. Statement of principles to guide government agencies on how to recognise, promote and maintain NZSL

5. A reporting system to report on progress in following the principles.

Government will do more work to look at:

i. NZSL interpreter issues

a) Work on developing interpreter standards for courts

b) Review of government funding systems for NZSL interpreters

ii. Education, health, work and television issues

a) Deaf people have many barriers in these areas. Plans to remove barriers will be developed in consultation with the Deaf community.

Deaf community Government Departments

Targeted 27 key government agencies

1st round: May 2003Options for details of a

NZSL Bill

2nd round: Aug 2003Detailed proposals

Deaf Advisory Group

Deaf community meetings

Why recognition of NZSL?Current problems without

recognition?

2. Update on work since May 2003: Consultations

Deaf awareness needed for government departments in May/June 2003.

Deaf community meetings showed clearly that recognition of NZSL as a real language is very low which means Deaf people do not have fair treatment

“Official recognition” – what does this mean?

Rights or principles?

2. Update on work since May 2003:Some issues that came up in this work

New Zealand laws have some gaps. These gaps mean that Deaf people do not have the same right to their language as other New Zealanders, for example:

• New Zealand’s human rights laws do not include ‘language’ as a prohibited ground of discrimination• NZ Bill of Rights Act

International models• eg: European Parliament

Two separate issues (i) access to services and information for Deaf people, and (ii) status for NZSL.

Intra-ground discrimination risk

Problem

Ideas

NZSL

EveryoneGovernment

agenciesParliament

Practice

1 - 2 years

Research work

Ministers

Cabinet

1st Reading (debate)

Select Committee

2nd Reading (debate)

3rd Reading (debate)

Standards

Funding

3. How YOU can influence the NZSL Bill

Draft NZSL Bill introduced to Parliament

Early 2004 (?February)

First reading

Parliament refers the Bill to select committee

3. How YOU can influence the NZSL Bill

The Select Committee:

Makes NZSL Bill public

Calls for submissions

Written

? NZSL video

You can ask to meet the select committee to explain your submission points

Making a submission to a select committee

can look something like this…

You can find the booklet

“Making a Submission to a Parliamentary Select Committee”

at the Office of the Clerk’s website:

http://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/Publications/Other/

4. Questions and discussion

1. Questions and discussion

2. The Office for Disability Issues would like to ask for feedback on how we have involved the Deaf community in this work…

3. … and how can we make sure the Deaf community continue to be involved in this work?

For further information contact:

Victoria Manning

Office for Disability Issues

PO Box 12 136

Wellington

Email: Victoria.Manning001@msd.govt.nz

Fax: +64 4 918 0075