New Zealand Sign Language Week 2021
From May 10th to 16th, 2021, we celebrate our sign language as it is OUR first language than English in New Zealand. Back in 2006, April 6th, our Government passed the Bill to have our sign language become an official recognition first or preferred language in New Zealand. More information can be seen here https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/00DBHOH_BILL6011_1/new-zealand-sign-language-bill
Before 1880, there was no school for the Deaf when families, traders, whalers, convicts and Māori people came to Aotearoa (New Zealand). Between 1820 to 1890, families of deaf child/ren were sent to the UK, Australia, and the USA, where there are several boarding schools for the Deaf.
The Deaf blogger was able to find the census of how many D/deaf children and adult lived in Aotearoa (New Zealand).
There were 20 Deaf adults/children in the new colony in 1861 (males-11 and females-5) and in 1864, there were 19 Deaf adults/children (males-14 and females-5).
There were 47 D/deaf children in 1871, according to the Papers Past. There was another list of Deaf adult and children in the Stats, and it showed there were 57 in 1871 (males-35 and females-22). https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD18740818.2.13?end_date=31-12-1901&query=census+-+deaf+and+dumb&snippet=true&start_date=01-01-1839
The number of Deaf adults and children rose upward from 1878 to 1911 – 306 then suddenly there was a drop-down to 206. The result from the Stats said, “there appears to be a definite age-group at which this infirmity is at the maximum. the few inferences of any validity may be drawn provided that the proportion children born deaf are fairly constant that the death rate is not appreciably higher for them than for the rest of the community….”
Let explore the occupation were Deaf adults between 1861 to 1901 in the new colony. The deaf blogger picked one year, 1881, and 114 Deaf adults have had occupations from Architect, surveyor to no occupation at present (1881). There were 60 Deaf males and 54 females in the colony. Let see what the list of occupations show you – in Males’ occupation area were Architect, surveyor/draughtsmen, Billiard Marker, farmer/farm servants, marketer, gardener, grubber/bushman, saddler, harness maker, dealer, carpenter, joiner, furniture marker, cabinet/upholsterer, Woolen dealer, hairdresser/wigmaker, tailor, shoe/boot maker and dealer, sawmill owner, mining engineer and labourer. The rest of the males were scholar, son relatives/visitors and relatives of farmers. Let see what the list of occupations show you – in Females’ occupation area were widow/wives, woollen dealer, tailor and shoe/boot maker and dealer. The other areas were daughter relatives/visitors and home scholars.
Here is one of the example – the picture show here.
