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NZSL Board New Zealand Sign Language Board / Te Oranga Reo Rota
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Calling for Nominations to the NZSL Board 2024

The Minister for Disability Issues is seeking nominations from those who would like to be considered for appointment to the New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Board. These appointments will be for a three-year term.

Nominations will be open from 18 September 2023

Extended closing date:  Nominations will close Friday 13 October 2023 at 5.00pm

The work of the NZSL Board is aligned with the NZSL Strategy and has responsibilities that extend across leadership, advice, strategy, co-ordination, and monitoring of NZSL. In addition, the work of the Board helps Government meet its commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD) and its obligations under the New Zealand Sign Language Act (2006).

Members appointed to the NZSL Board are required to have certain skills, including fluency in NZSL, and the majority of members must be Deaf NZSL users. The NZSL Board members appointed also need to represent the diversity of the Deaf community and NZSL users.

Nominations for NZSL Board Chair

The NZSL Board are looking for a new Chair to lead the work of the NZSL Office and manage meetings. The Chair must have Board experience or be willing to receive training in this. If this sounds like you, please follow the instructions for nomination and specify in your application why you think would make you a great candidate for the Board Chair position. Please refer to the NZSL Board’s Terms of Reference for further information about the role.

Instructions for nomination

For information on how to be nominated for the NZSL Board member positions, please download the following documents:

Making a nomination

1.    Read the attached Terms of Reference for the NZSL Board. This specifies the desired skills and attributes and explains what is expected of members.  

It also sets out its:

  • Vision
  • Principles                 
  • Purpose           
  • Role and functions
  • Composition
  • Governance
  • Processes
  • Support (by way of Secretariat)

 2.     Nominees:

  • should be able to demonstrate the desired skills and attributes of Board members
  • should be able to understand the views of, and communicate with, the NZSL community
  • cannot be an employee in the public service working on issues relevant to NZSL.

3.     Each member will be paid per day and pro-rata for a half day, for each day that they undertake work arising from their membership of the NZSL Board, including attending meetings. Remuneration will be in accordance with the Cabinet fees framework.

Nomination Checklist

Please provide the following to complete the nomination process:

  1. A cover letter explaining your relevant skills and experience
  2. A video submission (3 minutes)
    • Introduce yourself
    • Describe the current issues relating to the promotion and maintenance of NZSL
  3. A completed Nomination Form
  4. A completed Cabinet Committee Curriculum Vitae (CAB 50/01)
  5. A completed Nominee Declaration Form

Send the completed nomination documents and video by email (Word document and video link) to nzsl@whaikaha.govt.nz.   

For further information email nzsl@whaikaha.govt.nz

Past members share their experience

Updated on 29 April 2024
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