Office for Disability Issues and government news.
This a special Office's email update of 26 January 2011.
Review of the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006 – Next steps
The Minister for Disability Issues, Tariana Turia, announced the next steps of the review of the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006 on 25 January 2011. The review is being led by the Office for Disability Issues, and is about two things, as stated in the Act itself:
- how well the Act has been operating
- whether there needs to be any changes to the Act.
As part of reviewing the Act,the Office is seeking feedback from the public, until the end of February. We are keen to receive submissions from Deaf people, their families or whänau, as well as organisations and providers. To assist you with your submission we have posed some questions on areas of the Act. The questions are available in NZSL, as well as spoken and written English on the Office for Disability Issues website.
Public feedback is invited by:
- attending a meeting, and/or
- preparing a NZSL video (emailing a link to it on YouTube, or posting a DVD)
- downloading a submission form and sending it the Office for Disability Issues by post, fax, or email.
Feedback should be clearly marked ‘NZSL Act Review' and include your name, or organisation name, and contact details.
The last day for submissions is 28 February 2011. It can be sent to:
Post: NZSL Act Review
Office for Disability Issues
P O Box 1556
Wellington 6140
Email: odi@msd.govt.nz
Fax: 04 918 0075.
Attend a meeting
Deaf Aotearoa will be having community meetings in February 2011 to explain the review and the questions being asked by the Office for Disability Issues. A video camera will be available to use if you wish to film your NZSL submission at these meetings. Details of the dates, times and venues for these meetings can be found on: www.deaf.org.nz
The last day for submissions is 28 February 2011.