Lynette Pivac

In April 2006, New Zealand Parliament declared NZSL to be an official language - the culmination of a 20-year battle by the deaf community, and a true hallmark in the recognition of their native language. 'Sign of the Times' is about the deaf New Zealanders who fought to have their language recognised as a real language and as a viable means of communication. The film documents the community's celebration of the official recognition of their language and looks at the community's ongoing hopes and aspirations for their language and culture.

Deaf children are taught drama skills by two Deaf visitors from the UK, in preparation for their show at the opening night of the inaugural Deaf Festival, hosted by Kelston Deaf Education Centre.

This project explores the experiences of Deaf New Zealanders in accessing healthcare and health information. 40 Deaf people from around New Zealand share their stories about barriers in this setting as well as strategies they have used in advocating for their right to access information, communication, and make informed decisions.

Footage and interviews from the opening night of the newly redeveloped Auckland Deaf Society clubrooms late August 2007.

The Auckland Deaf Society Netball team celebrates their 25th Jubilee in April, 2000.

A farewell party is thrown for John and Laura Hunt at the Auckland Deaf Society, prior to their move to Melbourne. The farewell was attended by over 100 members of the Auckland Deaf community.

The New Zealand Sign Language Teacher's Association Hui in October 2018 was a great weekend of professional development for those that teach, and want to teach NZSL.

John Hunt, well-known for his involvement in the Deaf community – talks about establishing the NZ Deaf News, his journey towards becoming a life member of NZ Deaf Sports Association, having had a role in its founding; working as the first Deaf Field Officer for NZAD, and compiling ‘The Story of the Auckland Deaf Society Inc 1937-1987.

In the early 1990s, due to a breakthrough in technology, cochlear implants were starting to become the norm. The Deaf community worldwide viewed cochlear implants as a device that disregarded the need for access to sign language. Others considered such devices a miracle. In 1993, ‘60 Minutes’ investigated this controversial topic in New Zealand.

The first NZSL interpreting course has recently started in Auckland, being led by Drs. David and Rachel McKee. We take a peek at one of their NZSL classes, and Rachel predicts the areas of work graduates will go into.

'Strangers' was a TVNZ-produced drama series, including one Deaf character played by 7-year-old Sonia Pivac. This short documentary is a brief look behind the scenes of the filming process.

A NZSL narrated video taking viewers through the history of Auckland Schools for the Deaf, from Newton East, Myers Park, Titirangi, Mt Wellington and finally, Kelston.