Miss-Delectable
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Deaf call for more interpreters | Stuff.co.nz
Christchurch's devastating earthquakes changed the lives of many people.
Families lost loved ones, homes were destroyed and the country's deaf community was finally provided with an interpreter as they watched the events unfold on television.
Timaru couple Julie Nielson and Paul O'Donnell could finally turn off their television subtitles thanks to the sign language interpreters who stood beside Christchurch mayor Bob Parker as he addressed the public on a daily basis.
"We were so relieved to watch it, to see what the interpreter was saying for us about what was happening with the earthquake," Ms Nielson said.
"Whenever something important comes up that affects the deaf community we need to know. We can't hear the radio so how do we know [what is happening]?"
Today that vital form of communication has disappeared from our television sets and Mr O'Donnell and Ms Nielson would like to get it back.
This week marks New Zealand Sign Language Week, which aims to promote the language and raise awareness about the country's deaf community and the challenges they face each day.
Ms Nielson and Mr O'Donnell were both born deaf, which their families discovered when they were both two years old.
Mr O'Donnell was adopted at birth and describes his condition as "hard of hearing", while Ms Nielson classifies herself as "partially deaf".
The couple communicate well using a combination of sign language and speech but learning those communication skills was no easy task.
Ms Nielson said she could not speak until about the age of five and attended mainstream schools, where it was tough growing up deaf.
She became involved with the deaf community at the age of 17 and it is still a vital part of her life today.
A range of tools have been introduced to benefit the deaf community over the years including subtitles on television, a flashing light for a door bell and alarm clock and a teletext phone, which provides the user with a text message.
Other forms of technology have also been introduced in recent years to benefit people from all walks of life. Ms Nielson and Mr O'Donnell have been able to make the most of email; cell phones for text messaging; faxes and Facebook.
Now all they need to make their lives even easier is more sign language interpreters.
Mr O'Donnell said he first saw interpreters used on New Zealand television following the murder of deaf Christchurch girl Emma Agnew but it faded out, not to return until the Christchurch earthquakes.
Ms Nielson said sign language was one of the most valuable assets to the deaf community.
"We would like to see more people interested in sign language – we want to keep it going."
Aoraki Polytechnic will run a sign language taster course in July in Ashburton and Timaru.
"If I was a tutor I would be qualified to teach them. I would have to go to Wellington to be a teacher, which comes down to funding. Unfortunately the funding is not there."
Ms Nielson said she was grateful to her work colleagues at Top 10 Holiday Park who had made an effort to improve communication with her.
"At my work there are two staff that are deaf. We also have a communicator who has been learning sign language."
This week her colleagues will celebrate New Zealand Sign Language Week by wearing ear plugs. Their only form of communication will be to sign to each other.
"It's to support and understand how the non-hearing people feel."
Christchurch's devastating earthquakes changed the lives of many people.
Families lost loved ones, homes were destroyed and the country's deaf community was finally provided with an interpreter as they watched the events unfold on television.
Timaru couple Julie Nielson and Paul O'Donnell could finally turn off their television subtitles thanks to the sign language interpreters who stood beside Christchurch mayor Bob Parker as he addressed the public on a daily basis.
"We were so relieved to watch it, to see what the interpreter was saying for us about what was happening with the earthquake," Ms Nielson said.
"Whenever something important comes up that affects the deaf community we need to know. We can't hear the radio so how do we know [what is happening]?"
Today that vital form of communication has disappeared from our television sets and Mr O'Donnell and Ms Nielson would like to get it back.
This week marks New Zealand Sign Language Week, which aims to promote the language and raise awareness about the country's deaf community and the challenges they face each day.
Ms Nielson and Mr O'Donnell were both born deaf, which their families discovered when they were both two years old.
Mr O'Donnell was adopted at birth and describes his condition as "hard of hearing", while Ms Nielson classifies herself as "partially deaf".
The couple communicate well using a combination of sign language and speech but learning those communication skills was no easy task.
Ms Nielson said she could not speak until about the age of five and attended mainstream schools, where it was tough growing up deaf.
She became involved with the deaf community at the age of 17 and it is still a vital part of her life today.
A range of tools have been introduced to benefit the deaf community over the years including subtitles on television, a flashing light for a door bell and alarm clock and a teletext phone, which provides the user with a text message.
Other forms of technology have also been introduced in recent years to benefit people from all walks of life. Ms Nielson and Mr O'Donnell have been able to make the most of email; cell phones for text messaging; faxes and Facebook.
Now all they need to make their lives even easier is more sign language interpreters.
Mr O'Donnell said he first saw interpreters used on New Zealand television following the murder of deaf Christchurch girl Emma Agnew but it faded out, not to return until the Christchurch earthquakes.
Ms Nielson said sign language was one of the most valuable assets to the deaf community.
"We would like to see more people interested in sign language – we want to keep it going."
Aoraki Polytechnic will run a sign language taster course in July in Ashburton and Timaru.
"If I was a tutor I would be qualified to teach them. I would have to go to Wellington to be a teacher, which comes down to funding. Unfortunately the funding is not there."
Ms Nielson said she was grateful to her work colleagues at Top 10 Holiday Park who had made an effort to improve communication with her.
"At my work there are two staff that are deaf. We also have a communicator who has been learning sign language."
This week her colleagues will celebrate New Zealand Sign Language Week by wearing ear plugs. Their only form of communication will be to sign to each other.
"It's to support and understand how the non-hearing people feel."