New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006
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| New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| New Zealand Parliament | |
| Enacted by | House of Representatives |
| Royal assent | 10 April 2006[1] |
| Commenced | 10 April 2006 |
| Legislative history | |
| Introduced by | Hon. Ruth Dyson |
| Introduced | 7 April 2004 |
| First reading | 22 June 2004 |
| Second reading | 23 February 2006 |
| Third reading | 6 April 2006 |
| Summary | |
| Recognising New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) as New Zealand's third official language | |
| Status: In force | |
The New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006 is an act of the New Zealand Parliament recognising New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) as New Zealand's third official language.
Historically, NZSL users have been subject to social deprivation due to the lack of recognition [2]
In April 2006, the New Zealand Government announced that New Zealand Sign Language would become New Zealand's third official language following English and Maori, which would allow the ability to use and access NZSL in legal proceedings, including in court.[3]
Impact
Five years after the bill passed, many public services were still inaccessible in NZSL.[4]
Recognising NZSL as an official language of New Zealand, Air New Zealand released updates to its in-flight videos making them accessible in NZSL.[5]