A conversation with a Deaf person is the same as a conversation with a hearing person – Deaf people just use different communication tools.
You can communicate with Deaf people in several ways, including New Zealand Sign Language, spoken/written English or a mix of these.
New Zealand Sign Language week is coming up from the 9th to the 15th of May and Auckland Emergency Management in partnership with Deaf Aotearoa and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is bringing a cool new resource that teaches kiwis how to use different signs during an emergency.
I am Deaf. Let’s talk emergencies.
We want all our communities to be included when it comes to supporting one another during an emergency. Learn these signs and use them as often as you can.
The booklet could help you learn basic sign language to communicate with your deaf neighbours, friend and whānau during an emergency. This means you will feel more confident and capable of communicating in various situations with all members of the community.
Read the resource online, and learn through the video resources on NZSL Week website.
Or download the resource as a PDF. There are QR codes that will take you to our NZSL video resources.