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Threading a needle needs a straight eye with a steady hand, which 15-year-old Susan Ovens illustrated through mime at the closing function of Deaf Awareness Week on Sunday. The Deaf Awareness Week function was held in the Downtown complex in Auckland. The Governor General's speech was translated into sign language by the president of the New Zealand Association of the Deaf, Mr B.McHattie. 

Some good has resulted from the tragic case of deaf man Ivan Curry who was found not guilty after nearly two years in jail for murder, says the Deaf Association.

Nearly 90 Christchurch people have spent the last year training to be interpreters at the World Games for the Deaf, with about 50 deaf people teaching the volunteers their language.

About 100 interpreters have been trained in Christchurch over the last year. The classes were organised by the hearing people but the deaf were the teachers. It is only the second time that New Zealand sign language has been taught in this country.

The Ivan Curry documentary has prompted the deaf community to insist that professional sign language interpreters be used in all police and court work in future.

Theresa Newson and Maria Griffiths are completely deaf. They are also students at St Catherine's College, Kilbirnie. Their mothers looked at several schools in the Wellington region because they wanted their daughters to stay at home rather than go to Van Asch.

Most of these taking part in the sports convention last weekend live in a silvent world constantly. Yet no observer could have mistaken the enjoyment the spectators at the badminton expressed in their conversation, using signs and movements of their arms, hands and lips.

Local man Lindsay Jones has a national reputation as a skilful storyteller. Unless more people learn sign language, however, that recognition is likely to remain limited mainly to the deaf community.

The New Zealand cricket team beat Australia at the Petone Recreation Ground. You would be forgiven for not knowing the match was on. Media coverage, or rather the lack of it, is a major problem for disabled sport.

For the first time since they met, Pam and Kaz Witko can talk to each other on the telephone… well, it’s not really talking it’s more like writing letters, only a lot faster.