Merge NZ in the Media
2024
NZSL students experience a Deaf Deaf World in Tauranga
Lizard News (Local Newsletter, Bay of Plenty) - November 2024​
What would it be like to experience a fully deaf world? On Saturday 28th September, NZSL students had the opportunity to find out at Deaf Deaf World, an immersive NZSL event that took place at Bethlehem Hall, Tauranga.
This event was held during the International Week of Deaf People, from 23rd to 29th September, as well as the Festival of Adult Learning Events 2024. These coinciding events provided Merge NZ with an excellent opportunity to celebrate New Zealand’s beautiful sign language, NZSL more...
Learning to swim, one sign at a time
Tauranga Pools (Website blog) - October 2024​
In the learner pool at Baywave, in a quiet lane to the left, Emily McCall’s eyes are locked on her swim teacher. Find out why this pair shares a special partnership in the pool.
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It’s a Sunday afternoon and Baywave is buzzing. On one side of the busy aquatic centre, kids are bobbing happily in the wave pool and racing down the hydroslide.
In the learner pool, in a quiet lane to the left, Emily McCall’s eyes are locked on her swim teacher. She is completely focused more...
Merge NZ, Normalising NZSL
Valley Voice (Rural Lifestyles newspaper) - September 2024​
In New Zealand we have three official languages; English, Te Reo and New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), a vital link for our Deaf community. My eight-year-old granddaughter told me they learn NZSL at school. Ashley then confidently showed me
the alphabet, ending up with the whole sign for “I Love You” which is wonderfully easy to execute. We practised it a few times that day.
Sign languages have developed as useful means of communication and more...
2022
Parents of Deaf Kiwis shift from 'fix' to 'embrace' mentality
TV One News (New Zealand - Social Issues) - 15 May 2022
Historically they've found parents want to "fix" a Deaf child, and focus only on cochlear implants and hearing aids.
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"I remember seeing some parents extremely emotional that their child was Deaf. They thought their child was broken. They thought they won't be able to communicate with the child, the child will be isolated," NZ Sign Language advocate Victoria Lessing said more..
2021
'Very frustrating' - Sign language interpreters in short supply outside NZ's main centres
TV One News (New Zealand - Social Issues) - 12 May 2021
Deaf Kiwis outside of our main centres feel left out and isolated, with a lack of qualified sign language interpreters to call on in their area.
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Merge NZ chief executive Victoria Lessing, who's also Deaf, says she's in touch with a number of those in the Deaf community across the country who feel the same.
"Deaf people have to find a way, through gestures or writing, but really it's very frustrating because they would like to have an interpreter. more..
2020
A Training Programme for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Tutors
Ako Aotearoa (Knowledge Centre - Project report) - 17 September 2020
A one-year project undertaken by Merge NZ with support from the New Zealand Sign Language Teachers Association (NZSLTA), to develop a training programme for tertiary staff to enhance the provision of support services for deaf/hard of hearing students.
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The main aims of the project were to more...
Celebrating NZ Sign Language Week
Westfield Story (Newmarket, Auckland) - 10 May 2020
New Zealand Sign Language week celebrates that New Zealand Sign Language is an official and unique language of New Zealand and is used by New Zealand's Deaf community.
At Westfield Newmarket, we have connected with our community partner Merge NZ who work in NZSL video production, NZSL teaching and more..
2019
Kiwi staff signing up for sign language week
TV One News (New Zealand - Disability) - 10 May 2019
It's New Zealand Sign Language week and Auckland Zoo, MOTAT and Auckland War Memorial Museum have been among those to embrace it.
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Merge New Zealand is an organisation which champions the promotion of sign language through organised workshops more...
After decades of crusading for NZ's Deaf community, Auckland woman honoured as 'local hero'
TV One News (New Zealand - Social Issues) - 13 February 2019
The New Zealander of the Year will be announced tonight and as part of it, a number of local heroes have been recognised.
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One of them is Aucklander Victoria Lessing, who has been Deaf her whole life and has spent 20 years raising the profile of New Zealand Sign Language. Two years ago, her passion developed into a company called Merge NZ more..
Sign Language courses signing their way to the Bay
SunLive (Online Newspaper) - 11 January 2019
Starting in the New Year, Merge NZ is bringing New Zealand Sign Language to the Bay.
Merge NZ is a Deaf lead social enterprise that was established in 2017, with a proportion of their profits being given back to
the deaf community more...
2018
Course aiming to 'normalise' sign language arriving in Morrinsville
Stuff (Waikato Times online newspaper) - 17 October 2018
A social enterprise hoping to normalise New Zealand Sign Language is running its first course in Morrinsville. Hosted by Merge NZ, the course, taking place from November 5, has been designed for people with no prior knowledge of the language.
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Director Jaime Brown, a former Te Aroha native, is hopeful participants will walk away with the ability to string a couple of new sentences together more..
Ordinary Kiwi women finalists in Women of Influence awards
Stuff (Lifestyle online newspaper) - 29 July 2018
There's a multiple gold medal-winning athlete, a secretary of defence and an acting coach to Hollywood stars among the finalists announced today in the 2018 Women of Influence Awards.
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Today's finalists also feature less prominent women, forced by extraordinary circumstances to push themselves in ways they'd never imagined possible more...
Spreading the word about Sign Language
Local Matters (Auckland's North Local Newspaper) - 11 June 2018
Although NZ Sign Language has been one of the country’s three official languages since 2006, it is still a new concept to the general population and many misunderstandings are still prevalent.
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That is something that social enterprise NZ Merge was set up two years ago to address, by promoting and supporting the use of NZ Sign Language, including providing classes in local communities and online more...
Let's Normalise New Zealand Sign Language
Torbay Newsletter (North Shore, Auckland) - May 2018
Merge NZ, a locally owned company, is on a mission to normalise New Zealand Sign language (NZSL). This Deaf-led company is celebrating NZSL Week (7th - 13th May) by teaching NZSL at schools, public libraries, businesses/organisations and community groups.
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“We have had a big increase in awareness and acceptance of NZSL since the Act was passed, but there is still work to be done,” Victoria Lessing (Deaf), Co-director and qualified NZSL tutor of Merge NZ says more...
Sign Language Giving Babies a Head Start
Verve Magazine (Lifestyle magazine, Auckland) - 15 March 2018
For deaf people, New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) is the form of communication predominantly used. It not only includes hand signals and gestures, but is also made up of extensive facial expressions, body movements, non-manual signals, and direct eye contact.
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Unfortunately, NZSL as a language has had a difficult past. For the better part of 100 years, NZSL was banned in the education systems in our country more...
2017
Deaf entrepreneur recognised for company promoting NZSL
Stuff (North Harbour News, Auckland) - 24 October 2017
Making sure New Zealand Sign Language is accessible to all is an aim of a north Auckland finalist in this year's Attitude Awards.
West Harbour resident Victoria Lessing, was announced as one of three finalists in the Attitude Entrepreneur Award category for her business Merge NZ, which aims to raise the profile of New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) more...
New Zealand Sign Language at Playcentre
Playcentre Journal (Journal Publication) - Winter 2017
Communication is in everything we do at Playcentre. But what happens if a parent or child at your centre is Deaf or hard of
hearing? How would you communicate with them?
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This year during NZSL week (first week of May every year), some of our Auckland Playcentres took up an offer from Merge NZ to learn NZSL more...
