New Zealand Sign Language celebrated 10 years as an official language this week.
This is a great achievement, considering sign language's shaky past in New Zealand.
NZSL is closely related to British and Australian SL, and began here with the arrival of deaf immigrants. Like a lot of imports, it developed its own variety to reflect our culture and lifestyle.
The first school for the deaf opened 1880 in Sumner, Christchurch, followed by branches in Auckland and Feilding.
Sign language, however, was not initially permitted in classrooms and deaf students received the message it was not an appropriate way to communicate.