#nzsl

it is a community based server for plurals (of all kinds) that sign. it’s open to anyone 13+. any level of knowledge of any sign language is welcome (or even if you just want to learn)!

majority of the current members know/are learning ASL but there’s a few learning/that know others like BSL & NZSL.

there are channels to just chat generally, as well as share and discuss different sign languages and Deaf Culture. i’d really love to have more signers join :]

When you discuss fandom in SL (eg: A book, or a movie, or a game), do you spell the name of the media in it's full? Or do you abbreviate it the way we do online (Eg: tloz for legend of zelda, istv for into the spiderverse, pjo for percy jackson and the olympians)? Or do you come up with sign names for them?

Do you spell it out full the first time (maybe using corrisponding full signs where appropriate eg the 'in' movement for into, or 'legend' in legend of zelda) then point back to that space to refer to it again? Come up with an arbitary nickname for it for every conversation/depending on the person?

huge thank you to @positivelyqueer for letting me know that BANZSL is usually split up into the separate languages that compose it!!

(for context, i live in Aotearoa (New Zealand))

the only reason you would make a language official if it’s 1. important to the people of the country and 2. it’s going to be lost if it isn’t legally protected.

English doesn’t need the protection, we all speak english, we all know english, people aren’t denied opportunities because they only know english. Te Reo Māori needs the legal standing it has been granted to prevent it from nearing extinction, again. Making Te Reo Māori an official language means that Māori people have better chances to be represented accurately in court, hospitals, schools, and everywhere else. Te Reo Māori needed to be protected.

New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) needed to be made an official language as the deaf people of Aotearoa didn’t have access to the country’s resources outside the deaf community. Making NZSL an offical language means that deaf new zealanders get to have a translator in court, in the medical sector, in schools. it gives them a fairer chance to succeed in a hearing dominated world. NZSL needed to be protected.

English didn’t. English doesn’t. you can go ANYWHERE and speak english, and get what you want, you don’t have to jump through hoops if you are a native english speaker of aotearoa. exams are, by default, in english, you don’t need to request a translator, or translated copy. you can understand everything without a middle man in a legal setting. the doctor can tell you directly what is wrong with you. English stands to gain absolutely nothing by making it an official language. it wouldn’t change anything. it’s not necessary, and it would lower the importance of being an offical language. in the public eye, Te Reo and NZSL got a boost up, climbing their way up to be seen as a proper language, not a “primitive” language, as they have both been described. English doesn’t need the boost.

Aotearoa only needs the two official languages.

Te Reo Māori (made official in 1987)

I understand that sharing your experience may use energy and/or time you would prefer to spend on other things and so I'm not expecting anything from anyone. I'm not entitled to your time and stories and would be extremely grateful if anyone was happy to share.

I am a hearing autistic person who just completed an intensive introductory course for Auslan, and I had a really interesting experience. I found I was able to make consistent eye contact and that facial expressions were much easier for me to use and understand, when both of those things are very difficult for me when using a spoken language (primarily English for me).

Our course material highlighted the importance of non-manual features, such as eye gaze and facial expression, in sign languages but didn't really have the scope to go into how this might differ (or be similar!) in autistic signers when compared to allistic ones.