Sign language - NZSL

Official NZSL (New Zealand Sign Language)

This year represents the first major milestone for NZSL (New Zealand Sign Language) and the D/deaf community since 2006.

Although the D/deaf community is active in outreach, additional efforts are required to increase awareness of NZSL, Deaf culture, and the importance of inclusion in workplaces, communities, and homes.

Despite increased awareness, significant gaps remain in rural areas, the health sector, rest homes, among frontline essential workers, District Local Councils, and within education.

We will now review the Enabling Good Lives (EGL) principles.

The EGL principles are eight core values that empower disabled people and their families to exercise choice, control, and meaningful participation in daily life.

Overview

The Enabling Good Lives (EGL) approach, developed by the disability community in 2011, provides a framework for disability support in New Zealand. Its vision is to offer disabled people and their whānau greater choice and control, promoting autonomy, social inclusion, and better life outcomes. The principles guide decision-making, service design, and system transformation to ensure support is person-directed, flexible, and community-connected.

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The Eight EGL Principles

1. Self-determination – Disabled people are in control of their own lives, making decisions about the supports they receive and how they live. 
2. Beginning early – Invest early in families and whānau to support their disabled child, build natural supports, and foster independence rather than waiting for crises. 
3. Person-directed – Supports are tailored to individual needs, goals, and aspirations, taking a whole-life approach rather than being fragmented across programs. 
4. Ordinary life outcomes – Disabled people are supported to live everyday lives in everyday places, with opportunities for learning, employment, family, and social participation like others at similar life stages. 
5. Mainstream first – Access to mainstream services is prioritised before specialist disability services, promoting inclusion and community engagement. 
6. Mana-enhancing – The abilities and contributions of disabled people and their families are recognised, respected, and valued. 
7. Easy to use – Supports are simple, flexible, and responsive to the needs of disabled people and their whānau. 
8. Relationship building – Supports strengthening relationships between disabled people, their families, and the wider community, fostering natural support networks. 

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Alignment and Impact

The EGL principles align with the New Zealand Disability Strategy, the social model of disability, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). They aim to transform the disability support system into one that is person-directed, flexible, and community-connected, improving access, autonomy, and participation for disabled people, including Māori and Pacific communities. 

NZQA

Practical Application

In practice, the principles guide service delivery by:

• Encouraging informed decision-making and respecting individual preferences.
• Supporting inclusive communities where businesses, schools, and recreational activities are accessible.
• Promoting flexible funding and planning processes that respond to the unique needs of each person.
• Advocating for systemic change to remove barriers and ensure disabled people and their families are involved in governance, service design, and monitoring. 

By embedding these principles, EGL seeks to create a disability support system that is empowering, inclusive, and sustainable, ensuring disabled people can lead fulfilling lives with dignity and choice.

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I have served on the Waikato EGL Leadership for 13 to 14 years, and we continue to promote the EGL Principles across all organisations, including government and non-government agencies. It is important to remind decision-makers that these principles are intended to empower disabled people, D/deaf people, and D/deaf individuals with disabilities, not to exert control over us. The global message is clear: “Nothing about us without us (Nihil de nobis, sine nobis in Latin).” As expressed in China: ‘Do not make any decisions involving us without our participation.’ Currently, both globally and in New Zealand, we face economic challenges, including funding shortages, cutbacks, and business difficulties, driven by the high cost of living and other factors. D/deaf people and D/deaf individuals with disabilities continue to encounter barriers, including ableism, communication challenges, a shortage of interpreters, and limited awareness of interpreter services. There is also a lack of frontline essential workers, such as teacher aides and support workers for D/deaf individuals and Deaf seniors. Workplace discrimination persists, despite the valuable skills and visual strengths D/deaf people bring to their roles.

Neighbours, children’s groups, activity groups, and rural communities need support to change their attitudes and learn more about us and our language. They should not control us, refuse to assist us, or reject us over minor issues. Continued engagement will help them better understand us and Deaf culture. While we often recognise when attitudes are inappropriate, some individuals may not change their behaviour. Over time, experiences may encourage them to reconsider their perspectives.

Many resources are available for learning to communicate in sign language. It is important to note that sign language is not universal. There are between 138 and 300 sign languages worldwide, each with its own vocabulary, grammar, and cultural nuances. Like spoken languages, sign languages developed independently in different regions and are not mutually intelligible.

NZSL classes are available throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand. Course fees range from $65 to $200 per person for a six-week course, while some online courses cost between $275 and $552. You can join the class (face-to-face) or an online course. should research available options to find a course that fits your budget.

This photo shows me teaching Basic NZSL to a diverse group, including seniors and graduate students. Participants enjoyed learning about our culture, developing sign language communication skills, and engaging in both open- and closed-ended questions, sharing, and making new friends. The course was free and open to all, allowing participants to attend as their schedules permitted. Many seniors experiencing hearing loss chose to begin learning basic sign language as an early intervention.