Every day across Aotearoa New Zealand, hearing people engage in a constant flow of incidental learning—the kind of knowledge we pick up without even thinking about it. It’s in the small talk with friends, the chatter on the radio, a quick news segment on television, or the overheard conversation in a café. For many Deaf New Zealanders, however, these everyday learning moments are far less accessible. Without access to sound, much of this “background education” simply doesn’t happen.

For many within the Deaf community, information needs to be delivered directly, intentionally, and in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). This means adult community education (ACE) becomes more than just a learning opportunity—it becomes a lifeline to knowledge, independence and participation.

Deaf Aotearoa, the national organisation advocating for and supporting Deaf people, is bridging this gap by providing a full range of adult learning courses designed specifically for the Deaf community. Some programmes are adapted from mainstream ACE courses, while others are uniquely developed to meet Deaf learners’ cultural and communication needs.

This year, Deaf adults across the country had the choice of around 65 ACE courses offered through Deaf Aotearoa, covering everything from life skills and health education to leadership development and digital literacy.

Many Deaf adults have experienced inconsistent or incomplete access to education, often leading to language deprivation. This can have lasting effects on communication, literacy, and confidence.

Lara Draper, General Manager – Adults & Seniors at Deaf Aotearoa, emphasises the channels they have in place to ensure Deaf people have access to ACE. “Our adult community education courses are designed to provide cultural context, ensuring information is shared in a way that makes sense for our learners and reflects our community’s values.

“This tailoring is more than a teaching strategy—it’s a commitment to equity. Courses are matched to each learner’s abilities, needs, and goals, recognising that a one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t work in ACE for the Deaf community.”

Deaf Aotearoa’s courses cover a wide spectrum. Some examples include:

• Deaf Yoga Workshops – In October, Deaf Aotearoa Christchurch is hosting yoga sessions led by Deaf yoga teacher Irene Hulab from Australia. Delivered in a fully inclusive NZSL environment, these workshops focus on stress relief, emotional balance, and better sleep—skills that connect directly to overall wellbeing.
• Deaf Leadership Skills Development – In August, Christchurch participants took part in a two-part leadership course. The first session explored self-reflection and growth as a leader; the second focused on empowering Deaf leaders to effectively manage communication with hearing people through interpreters.

Sometimes, courses arise directly from community need.

Lara recalls one example:
When a much-loved community member passed away from cancer, the loss prompted deep conversations in the Deaf community. People began asking: Do I have a will? What happens at a funeral? What would cancer mean for me and my family?

For hearing people, these answers often come from conversations, public talks, or media coverage—none of which are easily accessible to Deaf people. In response, Deaf Aotearoa created a workshop explaining cancer, funeral planning, and will preparation in NZSL.

“Government websites may have the information,” Lara says, “but without sign language, it’s not accessible to our community. We try to fill that gap.”

Another example is their Avoiding Online Scams course, teaching digital safety and fraud prevention. While many people learn about scams from TV news or newspaper articles, such sources remain out of reach for most Deaf New Zealanders without dedicated NZSL resources.

Deaf Aotearoa courses are not just about the content—they’re about the environment. Deaf learners are highly social learners, thriving in community spaces where face-to-face, visual communication is the norm.

For many, the Deaf Club is more than a venue; it’s a second home where learning and teaching flow naturally between members. As academic research on Deaf Culture and bilingual-bicultural education shows, learning in culturally and linguistically affirming spaces significantly increases both knowledge retention and learner confidence.

Lara believes there’s still work to be done to make adult learning truly inclusive: “Many course providers think about accessibility for disabled people generally, but they don’t always consider the specific requirements of the Deaf community, for example, by providing NZSL interpreters. It’s important to notice that sometimes teaching in a hearing way isn’t enough—you need to adapt content and delivery, so it works for Deaf learners.”

She hopes more ACE providers will collaborate with Deaf Aotearoa to make mainstream courses available in NZSL, creating more equal opportunities for Deaf adults to participate.

In addition to delivering courses, Deaf Aotearoa also invests in developing Deaf tutors and facilitators. The Deaf Leadership Workshop in Christchurch is one example, equipping participants with the skills to run their own classes. Similarly, their dementia awareness course is taught by Deaf presenters, ensuring knowledge is shared within the community’s own cultural framework.

This approach builds what Lara calls a “Deaf ecosystem,” where learning is mutual, and teaching comes from within.

Although NZSL has been an official language of New Zealand since 2006, there remains a shortage of resources and funding for Deaf-focused learning across many life-skill areas. Deaf Aotearoa’s ACE programmes help fill that gap—providing access to education that is culturally relevant, linguistically accessible, and empowering.

In the words of one learner: “Here, I can ask questions, understand everything in my own language, and feel confident. That makes me want to learn more.”

For the Deaf community, learning is not just about gaining skills—it’s about connection, identity, and having equal access to the knowledge that shapes our daily lives.

To access the NZSL translation of this story, please click here.