1997
publication – Taonga source: National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
NFD Communicate: Summer 1997
1985
article – Taonga source: NZ Herald
Good sign for the deaf
A course to train professional interpreters for the deaf, now being run in Auckland, is the first of its kind in New Zealand.
NZSL Stories
2003
video – Taonga source: Mary Johnson
Memories of John Peterson
Born in Mumbai, India where his parents ran a tea farm, John Peterson shares his life story at his home in the Eddowes Pensioner Village, at Balmoral, next to Auckland Deaf Society. Filmed on 3 August 2003.
2004
video – Taonga source: AUT Visual Languages Section
Memories of Ava Buzzard (2004)
Ava Buzzard talks about commuting to school via her father’s motorbike, home signs, signing and oralism, and the next generation of signers.
1985
article – Taonga source: The Evening Post
Pam and Kaz take life in their stride
Says Pam: “I think for me I live in two worlds and have two languages, the deaf language and the hearing language. I speak the deaf language because I was brought up with it.”
2000
video – Taonga source: Dorothy Jones
Memories of Keith and Irene Gordon
Memories of Keith and Irene Gordon, recorded on 27 June 2000. They were both foundation members of Manawatu Deaf Society – founded on 7 July 1962. Keith was awarded life membership of Manawatu Deaf Society on 16 December 2000.
NZSL Stories
1951
video – Taonga source: Owen Gibbons
Christchurch Deaf men with (and on) their bicycles
Black and white footage of a group of Christchurch Deaf men with their bicycles chatting to the camera excitedly before riding on the road, and signing at the same time!
1982
publication – Taonga source: St Dominic’s Catholic Deaf Centre
Ephpheta: March 1982 (Vol. 5, No. 1)
2002
video – Taonga source: AUT Visual Languages Section
Memories of Ava Buzzard (2002)
Ava Buzzard talks about life growing up in Christchurch, her hobbies, moving to Auckland as well as her children and their educational upbringing.
NZSL Stories
1996-97
publication – Taonga source: National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
NFD Communicate: Summer 1996/97
NZSL Stories
1985
article – Taonga source: The Marlborough Express
Future for deaf takes on rosy glow
Deaf job-seekers face seemingly unsurmountable obstacles and prejudice. But a new polytech course promoting positive action is smoothing the way.
Est. 1958
COLLECTIONS – CURATED BY SIGNDNA: DEAF NATIONAL ARCHIVE
Kelston Deaf Education Centre (Ko Taku Reo)
Kelston Deaf Education Centre (now Ko Taku Reo; previously Kelston School for the Deaf). Kelston was established on a site in Archibald Road in 1958. The school had relocated firstly from Titirangi, then from Mt Wellington. KDEC used to provide education in a range of satellite classes throughout Auckland the upper North Island. Kelston, which also hosts Rūaumoko Marae, merged with van Asch Deaf Education Centre to become Ko Taku Reo in 2020.
2001
article – Taonga source: Unknown
Loud and clear
The deaf community believes it has been misunderstood and misinterpreted for too long. Now it wants to be seen and heard as a group with its own cultural identity.
1982
article – Taonga source: AID Magazine
Deaf field officers – their disability is their qualification
In the past 18 months, the NZAD has opened field offices in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington, and hopes soon to establish two more in Nelson and Dunedin.
NZSL Stories
1992
article – Taonga source: The Evening Post
Help to get to varsity
A deaf Wellington woman may now realise her life's ambition thanks to a Workbridge Women's Study Award. Sarah Cameron of Karori had always wanted to complete a university degree and train as a teacher of the deaf.
2004
video – Taonga source: AUT Visual Languages Section
Memories of Shaun Fahey
Shaun Fahey, a Deaf artist, talks about illustrating signs for the NZSL Dictionary, and what life was like for a young Shaun growing up in Christchurch under the rule of oralism.
NZSL Stories
2006
article – Taonga source: Unknown
Breaking the sound barrier
Growing up in Feilding Della Roache used to like going to the pub to pick up her dad. Now she's the bar manager at the Himatangi Beach Cosmopolitan Club. And she's deaf.
2002
video – Taonga source: AUT Visual Languages Section
Memories of Greg Pateman
Greg talks about his passion - Deaf sports, and why the Southern Deaf sport teams are superior to their Central and Northern counterparts!
1982
article – Taonga source: NZ Woman’s Weekly
Pat’s deafness helps others
The new field officer for the deaf, Pat says “…deaf people are not morons.”
NZSL Stories
1991
article – Taonga source: The Chronicle
Coping with deafness in a hearing world
Cushla and Brian talk about their lives – being Deaf, their experiences at school, employment, and communication.
2019
video – Taonga source: Merge NZ
Interview: Jamie Brown from Merge NZ talks about the impacts and benefits of learning NZSL
Jaime Brown, Merge NZ Co-Director, learned NZSL and didn't just find a language, but a community and a passion. Seecus talks to Jaime about the impacts NZSL has had for her and the benefits of learning sign language.
2019
video – Taonga source: Merge NZ
Interview: Victoria Lessing from Merge NZ talks about learning NZSL and its benefits
Victoria Lessing, Merge NZ Co-Director, talks with Seecus about learning NZSL and its benefits.
1986
article – Taonga source: Unknown
Silent Communication
Week in, week out, Linda's hands flutter expressively about events from the spectrum of human existence: funerals, trade union meetings, church services, antenatal classes, court cases, visits to doctor and lawyer.
NZSL Stories
1992
video – Taonga source: Television New Zealand Archive
NZSL interpreting course begins
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.
1964
article – Taonga source: Auckland Deaf Society
Deaf Folk Conquer their Handicap
On a recent Saturday, I was lucky enough to meet members of the Auckland Deaf Society at a working bee they were holding to improve the grounds of the city's Deaf Welfare Centre. The centre, incidentially, is a very fine building – it has the biggest sports hall in Auckland with a floor area 110 by 60 feet.
NZSL Stories
1990
article – Taonga source: NZ Listener
That’s the way we sign it
For most of the week, the deaf in New Zealand are shut off from the television communication the rest of us take for granted. But for half an hour each Sunday, they can join the rest of the world, through a special programme called News Review.
1984
article – Taonga source: The Evening Post
Job advertisement: Field officer for the deaf – Wellington
A job advertisement for a field officer for the deaf in Wellington, a resourceful person experienced in Social Work to assist deaf clients and carry out liasion and information work on matters relating to deafness.
NZSL Stories
1992
video – Taonga source: Point of View Productions
‘See What I Mean’
'See What I Mean' presents two real-life stories: the story of a family who were all born Deaf, and a journalist who loses her hearing. It offers positive advice about hearing loss as well as celebrating the New Zealand Deaf community.
1981
video – Taonga source: Manawatu Deaf Society
Joan Bailey films Deaf performing at the Palmerston North Telethon!
Local Manawatu Deaf people appear on Telethon to sign a song, after Joan Bailey films a range of Deaf people at their workplaces - a welder, spraypainter, seamstress, data entry clerk and joiner.
1991
publication – Taonga source: National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
NFD Journal: June 1991 (Vol. 5, No. 2)