Common questions about the review of the New Zealand Sign Language Act
This section has common questions and answers about the review of the New Zealand Sign Language Act
Why is the NZSL Act being reviewed?
The review is required by law. The NZSL Act itself requires that a review must be prepared three years after the Act came into force (therefore, at some time after April 2009) on:
- how well the Act has been operating
- whether any changes to the scope or content of the Act are needed to ensure that it is meeting its goals.
This provision recognises how important it is to make sure that the NZSL Act is working for the Deaf community. It needs to have more than symbolic value. Now that the Act has been operating for three years, we need to find out what difference it has made to the lives of Deaf people, and what may need to change for it to be truly successful.
What is the review going to cover?
The review is looking at how well the Act is operating in its four areas:
- making NZSL an official language of New Zealand
- allowing NZSL to be used in legal proceedings
- standards for skills and abilities drawn up for NZSL interpreters in legal proceedings
- use of the Act's principles to guide government departments' promotion and use of NZSL in their work.
Who is leading the review, and how are Deaf people being involved?
The Office for Disability Issues is leading the review. Deaf people and organisations representing Deaf people have been working with the Office on developing the review during 2010, and the Office has also been gathering information from government departments on how they have been responding to the needs of Deaf people.
What progress have been made on the review?
During 2010, Deaf people and organisations representing Deaf people have been working with the Office for Disability Issues on what the next steps should be and the Office has also been gathering information from government departments on how they have been responding to the needs of Deaf people.
In late 2010, the Office for Disability Issues had to put its planned consultation on the review on hold, to give priority to developing the report to the United Nations on New Zealand's implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. As well, the Office wanted to avoid the "consultation overload" which would be likely if the consultations for the report on the Convention and for the NZSL Act review were run around the same time.
In late January 2011, the Minister for Disability Issues invited submissions from Deaf people and from others with an interest in the Act on how well the Act is operating.
When will the results of the review be reported?
The Minister will present the report on the review to Parliament in 2011.