​AUT students bring down barriers at Auckland Zoo

August 17, 2015

​AUT students bring down barriers at Auckland Zoo

AUT NZSL student Jess Robertson interprets the elephant encounter for visitors at Auckland Zoo. Photo: Supplied by George Major.

New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) English Interpreting students are working at Auckland Zoo to interpret animal encounters over the coming four Saturdays.

Julia Freeman, who originally started learning British Sign Language in 2009, is one of the five third-year students doing work experience on the project.

“The more exposure NZSL gets in public places, the more we can improve awareness about why NZSL is important,” she said.

Team Leader of Animal Experience at Auckland Zoo, Lana Laurenson, arranged the project after seeing a member of the public using Sign Language interpretation for a group of families.

She said the Deaf community [defined as those who use NZSL to communicate] miss out on the quirky stories zookeepers tend to add as they talk to the public about the wildlife, and therefore lose some personal connections with the animals.

“Even if the keeper is right there performing the encounter, quite often they will turn around to engage with the animals and you miss that lipreading opportunity,” said Mrs Laurenson.

The first session has already taken place, with three more sessions scheduled on September 12, October 10 and November 14.

Mrs Laurenson said she was amazed at how many people focused on the interpreter and the amount of people that came up afterwards to learn the signs for animals.

“There’s more people than you think that could benefit from this. It is just one way of bridging that gap within the community,” said Mrs Laurenson.

AUT Programme Leader of Deaf Studies and NZSL Interpreting George Major, who helped coordinate the project with Auckland Zoo, said although NZSL is one of New Zealand’s official languages, a Deaf person still receives limited access to NZSL.

“This trail at the zoo is something new, exciting and innovative,” said Dr Major.

New Zealand Sign Language became an official language of New Zealand, alongside Te Reo Māori and English, by the passing of the New Zealand Sign Language Act in 2006.

NZSL FACTS & FIGURES
  • There are approximately 9000 Deaf New Zealanders and about 420,000 deaf and hearing impaired people in New Zealand.
  • NZSL includes signs for Te Reo Māori terminology and concepts unique only to New Zealand.
  • NZSL is used daily by more than 24,000 New Zealanders, and it is the 12th most frequently used language, out of approximately 190 languages currently used in New Zealand.
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