| New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006 | |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Parliament | |
| Enacted by | House of Representatives |
| Royal assent | 10 April 2006 [1] |
| Commenced | 10 April 2006 |
| Legislative history | |
| Introduced by | Hon. Ruth Dyson |
| Introduced | 7 April 2004 |
| First reading | 22 June 2004 |
| Second reading | 23 February 2006 |
| Third reading | 6 April 2006 |
| Summary | |
| Recognising New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) as New Zealand's third official language | |
| Status: In force | |
The New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006 is an act of the New Zealand Parliament recognising New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) as New Zealand's third official language.
Historically, NZSL users have been subject to social deprivation due to the lack of recognition [2]
In April 2006, the New Zealand Government announced that New Zealand Sign Language would become New Zealand's third official language following English and Maori, which would allow the ability to use and access NZSL in legal proceedings, including in court. [3]
Five years after the bill passed, many public services were still inaccessible in NZSL. [4]
Recognising NZSL as an official language of New Zealand, Air New Zealand released updates to its in-flight videos making them accessible in NZSL. [5]
In 2015, the NZSL Board was set up to give practical effect to the legislation. [6]
In 2022, the government held a consultation on amendments to the act. [7]
Because the sign languages of Deaf people have been historically denigrated as less than fully language-like and even conducive to social deprivation, discussion of their political status necessarily starts by confirming that they possess the characteristics of natural human languages.
The immediate effect of the New Zealand Sign Language Bill, which is expected to pass this afternoon after its third reading, will be to provide people with the right to use and access New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) in legal proceedings, including in court.
"We're thrilled we could support NZSL Week and recognise its importance as an official language of Aotearoa by encouraging our crew to show their signing skills on this flight," Collett said.