New Zealand Sign Language Board

11/05/2026

Congratulations to all NZSL Award winners!

It was a beautiful awards night hosted by Deaf Aotearoa at Te Papa with lots of celebration, connection and laughter.

The awards marked 20 years of NZSL as an official language. The theme was ‘A legacy in our hands’ to recognise people who worked to have NZSL recognised as an official language.

It was great to have Dr Joe Murray, President of the World Federation of the Deaf Ry, to present the ultimate NZSL Champion award to Jon Tai-Rakena for his outstanding commitment to protecting, promoting and preserving NZSL.

There were many more awards for Māori, youth and local champions open to Deaf or NZSL users. NZSL awards were also presented across a range of areas for accessibility, employment, interpreter of the year, teacher of the year, education, arts and culture, sports and recreation and government agencies.

The NZSL Board and Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People were proud to sponsor the awards alongside many others including Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, NZ Civil Defence, Ministry of Education NZ and Ministry of Social Development NZ.



Image descriptions

Image 1: The main auditorium of Te Papa filled with around 300 people seated at 30 tables for the awards. In the background a large circular window looks out over the Wellington harbour and the city. There are light displays showing fern patterns on the walls.

Image 2: Group photo of NZSL Board members and Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People employees dressed formally and smiling for the camera.
Back row: Ryan Cassidy, Rebecca Elvy, Catherine Greenwood, Joanne Beckers, Darrel Firth, Harriet Palmer and Aaron Khor.
Front row: Ryan Simchowitz, Paula Tesoriero (holding NZSL Action Plan) and Kellye Bensley.

08/05/2026

Happy 20 years of NZSL!

NZSL Week is a time to celebrate NZSL, Deaf culture, and the Deaf community, and to encourage everyone to learn and use NZSL in everyday life. It’s been great to see NZSL being used and shared across different spaces this week.

We have a new NZSL Strategy 2026-2036. The vision for that strategy is 'New Zealand Sign Language - everyone, everywhere, every day'.

See link in comments.

13/04/2026

“We wanted to create an experience d/Deaf and hearing audiences could share."

Barbarian Productions created a fully bilingual NZSL/English version of their show ‘Speed is Emotional’.

d/Deaf actor and interpreter Pollyana Fergusson was on stage, at the heart of the performance, with creator Jo Randerson.

Having NZSL woven into the show added a strong visual layer. It also meant d/Deaf audiences didn’t have to choose between watching the show or looking off to the side for the NZSL interpreter.

Barbarian teamed up with New Zealand’s first professional d/Deaf and hearing theatre company Equal Voices. This helped make sure the story’s themes and humour came through clearly in NZSL.

Accessibility didn’t stop with language. Performances were relaxed, so people could move around if they wanted to. There were pre-show touch tours and workshops for neurodiverse children and adults.

We think the accessibility Barbarian and Equal Voices Art have achieved is fantastic. It shows how working together creates great experiences for everyone.



Click through to YouTube to see captions for NZSL.

Video by Rāhera Turner
Video description: Members of the audience for Speed is Emotional use NZSL to describe how they much enjoyed the performance.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

09/04/2026

Reminder: Calling for expressions of interest to be a member of the NZSL Board

The deadline is Sunday 19 April.

Check the NZSL Board website on how to make an expression of interest. The link is comments below ⬇️

If you have questions email [email protected]

25/03/2026

Waiata and karakia in NZSL are on the NZSL Board website. This is one example.

The videos have been created to help Turi Māori connect more deeply with te ao Māori (the Māori World). Many turi Māori find it difficult to access waiata and karakia so Te Rōpū Kaitiaki, the Māori Advisory group to the NZSL Board, is removing barriers.

With support from Māori NZSL interpreters and others, waiata and karakia have been translated to NZSL. All the videos are on YouTube so you can slow them down or repeat sections to learn at your own pace.

See link in comments: ⬇️

Video description: Marjorie Rako is performing Whakataka te hau in NZSL. She is standing in front of trees and is wearing a black top. She has long black hair tied back and is wearing a pounamu pendant. Subtitles in reo Māori are on the bottom of the screen and the NZSL Board logo is at the top left with her name and title of the karakia.

23/03/2026

We are calling for expressions of interest to be a member of the NZSL Board.

The deadline is Sunday 19 April 2026.

See link in comments for more information and how to make an expression of interest. ⬇️

Transcript: We are calling for expressions of interest to be a member of the NZSL Board. If you want to be part of work to promote and maintain NZSL we want to hear from you. The deadline for an expression of interest is Sunday 19 April 2026.
Check the NZSL Board website on how to make an expression of interest.

Video description: Catherine Greenwood, Chair of the NZSL Board, is using NZSL to call for expressions of interest. She is wearing black and standing in front of a white background.

23/03/2026

We are calling for expressions of interest to be a member of Te Rōpū Kaitiaki.

See link in comments for more information and how to make an expression of interest. ⬇️

Transcript: We are calling for expressions of interest to be a member of Te Rōpū Kaitiaki. If you want to improve outcomes for Turi Māori we want to hear from you. The deadline for an expression of interest is Sunday 19 April 2026. Check the NZSL Board website on how to make an expression of interest.

Video description: Rahera Turner, Chair of Te Rōpū Kaitiaki, is using NZSL to call for expressions of interest. She is standing against a white background and is wearing a cream hoodie. On the front of the hoodie is a hei tiki and the words Māori words "Ake Ake Ake, A Forever Language" in capitals.

04/03/2026

“Being here has been emotional. I haven’t had such a strong connection to Te Ao Māori in such an accessible way (before).”

Tāngata turi (Deaf Māori) were welcomed to an NZSL translated wānanga to learn and take part in taonga tākaro Māori (traditional Māori games).

The wānanga was supported by Te Rōpū Kaitiaki, the Māori advisory group to the NZSL Board. It is part of work to connect tāngata turi to te Ao Māori (the Māori world) through NZSL. Many tangata Turi have not had access te Ao Māori, which has caused maemae (hurt).

The wānanga was created by a leader in ngā taonga tākaro Wiremu Sarich (Te Rarawa, Ngā Puhi) who describes tākaro as a medicine and a connection to the knowledge of ancestors.

One young participant summed it up: “It’s fun, it’s interesting and it’s a taonga for the future.”

See link to Te Ao Māori News story in comments: ⬇️

Image description: Wiremu Sarich on the left and Brooklyn West (Te Rōpū Kaitiaki Board member) stand facing each other. They have their hands raised and are smiling as they take part in tākaro Māori. In the background is a person with a mobile phone to record them and other people also doing tākaro.

Image courtesy of Te Ao Māori News

23/02/2026

The NZSL Board will open applications for the NZSL Community Grants programme later this year.

In the past, applications opened in March or April. This year the timing is different.

In July, we’ll share the process, key dates, and how to apply on our website and Facebook.

Check the comments for a link to the video transcript on the NZSL website ⬇️

Video description: NZSL team members Ryan C (left, wearing a black top) and Ryan S (right, wearing a white top) sit side-by-side on grey chairs in front of a white wall. They share an NZSL update about the NZSL Community Grants.

17/02/2026

The NZSL Board is providing an update on work for NZSL interpreter standards.

See link in comments for the written update on the NZSL Board website.

Image description: NZSL Board Chair Catherine Greenwood is doing an NZSL update on interpreter standards. She is wearing a dark top and is standing against a teal background.