Fifty deaf people registered a silent protest outside the Auckland Magistrate’s Court yesterday about what they say is the subtle discrimination of New Zealand against deaf people.
One of their number Mr J. Hunt (53) pleaded guilty in court to a charge of having a colour television set without a licence.
He said he had written to Broadcasting Minister Mr Templeton asking for a concession rate licence for deaf people because both he and his wife were deaf.
The Post Office had said that should a concession licence be granted, it would not be retrospective and Mr Hunt would still have to take out a licence.
Mr Hunt was fined $50, with $10 costs and ordered to pay $85 solicitor’s fee. The deaf people who crammed into the courtroom to see the case had a “whip around” soon after to help him to pay the fine.
Counsel, Mr M. Hart, said Mr Hunt was a man of honour and dignity and this was the first time he had appeared in court. The decision to break the law was not taken lightly.
Mr Hart said Mr Hunt was born deaf, like 5000 to 6000 other New Zealanders, and did not understand what the television programmes were about.
DeniedIn a letter read to the court, Mr J. Moody, senior lecturer in behavioural science at the University of Otago medical school, said that in his experience, the situation for the deaf person was worse in New Zealand than in any other country.
“From cradle to grave, the deaf New Zealander is denied services and amenities which would be his almost by right in any other country. This constitutes a subtle form of discrimination which is as frustrating as it is demeaning.”
The letter said that, according to a senior Government Minister, there was not a single Government agency which knew how many deaf people there were, let alone what problems they faced.
In the United States deaf and hearing people simultaneously presented the news. Captioning of programmes would be easy and broadcasting production staff could think of no reason why it should not be done, said Dr Moody.
Mr J. B. Bergin, SM, said he was not unsympathetic to the deaf people, but defendant had deliberately broken the law with a view to airing his discontent.
Through an interpreter, Mr B. McHattie, defendant said after the hearing that as well as captioning for programmes, he wanted more pressure put on the Government from the public about the problems of the deaf. He wanted more programmes especially for the deaf.
He did not like to see deaf people becoming second-rate citizens. People born deaf were unable to hear any sound or spoken language, were unable to form and speak words properly and were unable to perceive normal spoken language.
Mr Hunt teaches adult deaf people at the Kelston School for the Deaf. He was taught by Mrs Nola Dickey, who specialises in purely syntactic communication, which is a sign for every word.
Mrs Dickey said she was the only person in New Zealand proficient enough to teach the syntactic system.
Mr Hunt said the protest was a result of years of frustration built up after writing many letters to Ministers and authorities, and getting nowhere.
“It’s up to the public now,” he said.
The Quota Clubs of New Zealand will present a petition to Parliament within the month to have all news bulletins and emergency announcements captioned for the benefit of the deaf.
