NZSL Board Projects 2019

Hono ki te Hāpori Turi – Engagement with Māori Deaf community

The NZSL Strategy (2018-2023) identified Māori Deaf as a priority group.  The NZSL Board wants to develop a strategic approach to further support Māori Deaf in the context of this strategy.  This project is to undertake preliminary engagement with Māori Deaf to develop a comprehensive, Treaty-based approach towards engaging Māori Deaf in the fulfilment of the NZSL Strategy to articulate Māori Deaf needs and aspirations.  The plan will:

• guide the work of the NZSL Board in maintaining and promoting NZSL with the Māori Deaf community,
• integrate success indicators for and by Māori Deaf into the Strategy,
• ensure that Māori benefit equitably from the Strategy and
• broaden Māori Deaf skills and capability to fully participate as Treaty partners in the implementation of the Strategy.

The Minister for Disability Issues appointed five new members onto the NZSL Board in early July 2019.  During the selection and nomination process, two positions were held for people who could represent the views of Māori Deaf. These remain vacant. The expected outcome of the project is a three- to five-year plan to guide the work of the NZSL Board as it works with the Māori Deaf community in maintaining and promoting NZSL.  From this work we hope to identify two Māori Deaf Board nominees to recommend to the Minister for Disability Issues for appointment.   We expect this project will be completed by the end of 2019

The expected outcome of the project is a three- to five-year plan to guide the work of the NZSL Board as it works with the Māori Deaf community in maintaining and promoting NZSL.  From this work we hope to identify two Māori Deaf Board nominees to recommend to the Minister for Disability Issues for appointment.   We expect this project will be completed by the end of 2019.

Tyrone Raumati - Project Lead

Tyrone is a familiar face to supporting Māori aspirations and development and has played a pivotal role in many local and national level organisations, currently he serves as an elected board member of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua the Pou Arahi at Hospice North Shore and Board member to Te Roopu Taki Māori (Advisory Committee to Hospice New Zealand). Tyrone has chaired the Te Rōpu Rangatahi o Waitakere, served as a board member of the Massey Matters Funding and Advisory Committee, the Māori Health Gain Advisory Committee (WDHB), Auckland Māori Rugby and the National Māori Youth Council.

Laura Cherrington - Project Lead

Laura has grown up in a trilingual, tricultural household with the common languages used being Maori, Sign Language and English.  Her eldest sister is Deaf which prompted the whānau to leave the north and settle in Auckland for broader educational options.  She has worked for many businesses in varying capacities mainly concentrating her career within management and consultancy.  Deciding it was time for a career change she then turned her attention back to NZSL completing her studies and graduating as a New Zealand Sign Language Interpreter in 2005.  This has led her into many interpreting settings, currently Laura is working as a Community Interpreter.  She also had involvement in Maori Trusts in the capacity of both Trustee and Treasurer.