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.
We have partnered with Deaf Aotearoa and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to bring I am Deaf. Let’s talk emergencies resource booklet. The booklet guides on how to use different signs during an emergency.
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.