Deaf student’s journey with academic excellence and NZSL advocacy
This May, Cha’nel Kaa-Luke (Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Porou), will celebrate New Zealand Sign Language Week, and graduate with a Certificate in Deaf Studies.
Cha’nel moved to Te Whanganui-a-Tara to study a Bachelor of Arts and Certificate of Deaf Studies in 2019 but moved back home to be with her whānau when the pandemic hit. In 2022, they came back to Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington to complete their degree.
“I don’t think I’ll ever stop wanting to learn,” Cha’nel says. “In high school everybody had endless options of where they wanted to study. I really only had one option, Vic.” Cha’nel is deaf, and fluent in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) which she relies on to communicate daily.
“I felt a sense of comfort and awareness at the Vic campus. The environment and the minimum provisions I need are already here,” Cha’nel explains. “That feeling is why I love being here. I still have to advocate, but the basis, foundation, and understanding already exists. I can focus on my studies, which is what I came here to do.”
The Certificate of Deaf Studies gives students who are fluent in NZSL the skills and knowledge to teach NZSL. This was one of Cha’nel’s only opportunities to be amongst other Deaf students, learning in a natural language setting at tertiary level. The courses are taught visually, interactively, and entirely in NZSL, which eliminates the worry of other accessibility needs. However, the classes for their BA were only with hearing peers, who receive information audibly. This wasn’t always easy, accessible, or reliable for Cha’nel as a Deaf student.
While completing her BA, Cha’nel says the trickiest part of studying was coordinating between her interpreters and lecturers. “I owe a lot of my learning to interpreters. I had to learn how to advocate for myself with lecture content, and how to communicate effectively to ensure I’m getting the most out of my studies.
“Everything was done as a team. The negotiating, the interpretation, passing on the knowledge and content I was studying.”
As well as utilising Disability Services, Cha’nel also had a close relationship with Āwhina (Māori Student Support). “I contacted them prior to starting at Vic, and before I moved into a hall. I spent a lot of time with them in my first two years here,” Cha’nel says. “We had regular check-ins, and they were able to be a community for me away from home. I felt welcomed and supported which was so important to me.”
This year, Cha’nel is furthering her studies and working towards a Master of Indigenous Studies. “I believe I’m one of the first Māori Deaf people to do an Master’s like this. That space comes with a lot of privilege and a lot of fear, as well as pressure.” Cha’nel hopes there will be others to follow, allowing the opportunity for more Deaf and Māori voices in these spaces.
“I want to be able to give back to my community, especially the Māori Deaf community. Studying a Master’s will enable me to further understand the intersectionality between those two spaces.
“I’ve had to learn how to liaise with a variety of different people. It’s something I do in my job, which is a unique area within the deaf community. University has helped me realised that these skills apply broadly, not just in Te Ao Māori but how I navigate the world.”
Outside of university, Cha’nel works as a Māori Deaf Liaison with Ko Taku Reo—Deaf Education Aotearoa and is on the Deaf Aotearoa Youth Board. In March, Cha’nel was on a panel at the Gender Equal New Zealand conference discussing her mahi as an advocate for accessibility and equity in turi (deaf) and Māori communities.
In 2023 Cha’nel was shortlisted for the Kiwibank Young New Zealander of the Year award.
“My work gives me motivation for my studies.” Cha’nel says. “It’s important that we keep growing NZSL in more cultural and technical areas, so more awareness and opportunities in those spaces are available to Deaf people,” they explain. “NZSL expands when the community is diverse. To have people using NZSL in a plethora of spaces means that Deaf people and NZSL users have increased prospects.”
At the end of this year Cha’nel will travel to Denmark for nine months to participate in an International Deaf Leadership programme called Frontrunners. Cha’nel hopes to bring back a kete of knowledge to apply to her Master’s degree and communities back home. “I’m excited to be surrounded by Deaf people from around the world,” she says. “I know how NZSL works, but I am keen to widen that perspective globally.
“Change can happen now in our education system across all levels. If we have more Deaf teachers, more hearing teachers who know NZSL, have the language to promote those subjects, and encourage awareness of sign language, we can hope to see a diverse range of deaf rangatahi and adults who know the future is not limited to specific areas, but they can feel as though they are set to explore all possibilities.”
Learn more about NZSL at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.