the scenes was very different. Deaf early childhood education; when all deaf, people and their allies had to fight to get hearing impaired, and speech impaired interpreters and to receive vital information children learn to sign; and when every about civil defence, clean drinking water, citizen can sign the national anthem. In sanitation, and health and safety issues. these ways the unique contribution of articulate deaf people is valued not only in Before and during this Inquiry, we heard their own community but across all parts of many stories of the denial of people’s rights New Zealand society. And at bedtime, once to communicate using NZSL, and children the hearing aids and cochlear implants have and families being discouraged to learn been taken off, any mother or father can their language. Battles like these must not say “Goodnight, I love you” in NZSL to their happen in future. small deaf child. This Inquiry also found many encouraging Our call to action is to make this real, and signs. New Zealand has a strong deaf to implement the recommendations of this community with high expectations. Inquiry. To ensure that, from now on, at Frequent gatherings are held where the dawn of every child’s life there will be culture is strengthened and history passed the opportunity to learn our latest official on. There are groups beyond the deaf language, NZSL. Taking these steps together community for which NZSL can prove life will mark a new era in the right to sign. changing. There are new technologies to assist people in remote locations, an interested public who want to learn basic NZSL and increasing use of te reo Māori. Government departments have Paul Gibson shown a new willingness to engage with Disability Rights Commissioner NZSL aspirations and goals, and Ministers Kaihautū Tika Hauātanga understand links between language and culture and are ready to act. There is recognition that all disabled people’s rights in the Disability Convention must be made real. I look forward to a time when NZSL is constantly visible in our streets, schools, hospitals, and on TV. Imagine a time when every child learns the basics of NZSL in 6