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: [email protected]
Fax: +64 4 918 0075