New Zealanders''sign name' for Trump

Deaf people around the world have given Donald Trump his own sign name. In New Zealand it's made by "placing a hand over the head and letting the fingers wave in the breeze, mimicking his at times erratic haircut." See a video here.

What's happened to NZ's youngest implant receptient?

Josh Foreman was New Zealand's youngest person to have cochlear implant surgery when he was two years old. Now, he's 25 and graduating from the University of Auckland. The New Zealand Herald has a video report (no captions but there is text here.

Dad's implant tattoo

image from Facebook

The six-year-old daughter of Alistair Campbell got a second cochlear implant, so to show support for her, Campbell had a tattoo that looks like an implant placed on his bald head. The New Zealand Herald has more here.

Roller derby player files complaint

A roller derby player says she wasn't picked for a national team because she is deaf, reports New Zealand's TV3. Marcia Taylor is asking the national Human Rights Commission to look into why coach posted an offensive remark about her on Facebook. Read the story or watch a video report here. No captions.

Report: Right to sign language being denied to New Zealanders

Paul Gibson on One News

A report from a Human Rights Commission says thousands of New Zealanders are being denied a basic human right to sign language. The full report and its recommendations will be presented to the Parliament later today. New Zealand made sign language an official language seven years ago. One News has a video interview with Disability Rights Commissioner Paul Gibson about the report here.  No captions but there is a text of the interview. You can see a sign language video on the report here.

Cochlear donations pour in for teacher

$34,000 is raised in New Zealand for a teacher's cochlear implant surgery. "She's spent quite a bit of time crying because she's so overwhelmed by it all," the school principal said. Read the story here.

NZ Building code changes

The first deaf member of New Zealand's Parliament says her country's building codes could take a step backward if legislation is approved that would "mean property developers are no longer required to install visual fire alarms." Read the story here.

SignDNA

There is an effort in New Zealand to preserve the history of the country by finding deaf-related video prior to 1990. Find out more in the captioned and signed video posted on DeafNewsToday.com.

Garage Sale for Implants

A New Zealand couple holds garage sales so their son can get a 2nd cochlear implant. Read about it here.

Not affordable in NZ

Some "great technology" is passing by deaf New Zealanders. An article in SpecialEd post explains whyhere.

DVD subtitles

Deaf New Zealand political leader calls for DVD subtitles. Read the story here. 

Sign Language Club

A sign language club for kids in New Zealand. Here's a video report from a local channel.

"Absolutely Gobsmacked"

The first person to earn a doctorate in Deaf education in New Zealand says she is "absolutely gobsmacked" over her government's refusal to provide a note taker for the nation's first deaf member of Parliament, Mojo Mathers. The Otago Daily Times quotes Dr. Denise Powell of Dunedin as saying New Zealand is risking a violation of United Nations agreement on the rights of the disabled it ratified in 2008. Advocates of the deaf in Australia and Europe are already writing to show their concern. The Parliamentary Services expects Mathers to pay the $30,000 cost of a full-time note taker herself. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, passed by New Zealand, upheld the rights of disabled people to hold political office and carry out all the functions of government, using "assistive and new technologies."

Captioning on Sky TV

New Zealand's main pay-television operator is launching a closed captioning feature on 13 of its channels starting Wednesday. Sky Television is adding the feature to its feed of: Animal Planet, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, TCM, TV1, TV2, TV3, Cartoon Network, Crime & Investigation, Discovery Channel, Nickelodeon, UKTV and National Geographic.

Barriers to Travel in NZ

Deaf New Zealanders often don't travel because of concerns that their hearing loss needs will not be met. Auckland University of Technology researchers were told by 90% of those who responded to their survey that the service provided by the country's tourism industry is weak and needs improvement. Two-out-of-three respondents also admitted they have trouble finding information about travel accessibility.

New Zealand Teachers to Gather

The New Zealand Sign Language Teachers Association holds it 11th National Conference in Wellington, New Zealand November 27-28. For more information go here.