NZ offer world first service for deaf

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Fri, 15 Oct 2010 6:09p.m.

Only deaf and hearing impaired people can use the service

Only deaf and hearing impaired people can use the service

Rachel Morton

In a world first, emergency services have launched a scheme to make it easier for people who are deaf or hearing impaired to contact them in an emergency.

Until today, New Zealanders who are hearing impaired and deaf have had to use a fax machine to make contact with 1 -1 -1.

“There's always been a delay in time, trying to find a way to make contact,” says Rachel Noble.

At midday a system was switched on which allows the seven thousand members of the hearing impaired and deaf community to text for help.

Only those who are registered can use the service and that person's details are loaded into a police database.

Deaf Aotearoa says text messaging has revolutionised the way hearing impaired and deaf people communicate.

New Zealand is the first country to offer the service.

The service is strictly limited to people who are deaf or hearing impaired. Police say speaking with an operator is still the quickest way to get help in an emergency.

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Comments

23 Mar 2011 08:10p.m.

Jess wrote:

Margaret, what about those who genuinely ARE hearing impaired and not deaf? I have a student in my NZSL class who is not deaf, but definitely not hearing, he classes himself as hearing impaired, as does our tutor Mark I believe. The words Deaf and Hearing Impaired have different signs and as far as I knew mean completely different things these days.

10 Nov 2010 09:09a.m.

Deaf Deaf wrote:

Hearing Impaired

Please be advised that the term, “hearing impaired” is unacceptable. Here is the explanation:

The term "Hearing Impaired" is a technically accurate term much preferred by hearing people, largely because they view it as politically correct. In the mainstream society, to boldly state one's disability (e.g., deaf, blind, etc.) is somewhat rude and impolite. To their way of thinking, it is far better to soften the harsh reality by using the word "impaired" along with "visual", "hearing", and so on. "hearing-impaired" is a well-meaning word that is much-resented by deaf and hard of hearing people.

While it's true that their hearing is not perfect, that doesn't make them impaired as people. Most would prefer to be called Deaf, Hard of Hearing or deaf when the need arises to refer to their hearing status, but not as a primary way to identify them as people (where their hearing status is not significant).

Hope that you and your people respect by refusing to use the outdated and offensive term.

18 Oct 2010 11:22a.m.

margaret blackburn wrote:

This is an exciting step forward for hearing-inmpaired people. I commend the NZ police for their initiative and their leadership in setting a standard for other countries to emulate.