SignDNA is the home of Aotearoa New Zealand’s visual Deaf history.

When Miss Fay Fenton, who practices at Mt Roskill began teaching Hatha Yoga at the Mt Eden Deaf Welfare Centre, she had to find her own way of expression. Sign language and lipreading were no good when the audience was lying on its back starting at the ceiling, so I had to find some other way to pass on my instructions.

Stress and anxiety is bubbling in the Deaf community as it struggles to communicate with the public through face masks. They were “struggling” at the supermarket because they relied on lipreading to communicate. “Masks are creating a bit of a problem."

The New Zealand team found itself out of its depth in the World Deaf Games soccer tournament, being crushed 18-0 by Netherlands in its opening match on Saturday night at Queen Elizabeth II Park.

Lack of access to interpreters means deaf children are missing out on education. There are about 3600 children in the deaf education system, of which about 96 per cent attend mainstream schools. There are just three NZSL educational interpreters working full time with students, meaning most children were missing out.

A touching moment at the opening of the World Games for the Deaf appeared to set the tone for the competition. The entire United States team lined up to touch hands with the Russian athletes as the Soviet team marched into place.