Erica Dawson, 33, is a self-confessed homebody who lives in the rural outskirts of Wellington in Akatarawa Valley, Upper Hutt with her hubby, daughter, her mother and a bunch of adorable animals, including a dog, cat, bees, chickens and ducks.
As a proud deaf person, Dawson works for Deaf Aotearoa as the New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week coordinator and is making it her mission to enable greater access to NZSL for the wider deaf Community.
Part of that is sharing her story about the New Zealand she grew up in as a deaf person and her hopes for a brighter, more inclusive Aotearoa for deaf children tomorrow.
“When I was young and beginning school, I could lip read okay, but at the same time, it was quite tiring trying to take in that information via lip reading,” Dawson says. “I was quite lucky that I had a deaf friend in primary school briefly, which made me feel less isolated because I wasn’t the only deaf person.
“I did have some friends who learned sign language, which was nice, but as I progressed through school some people became judgemental and there was bit of bullying. This was hard and created a few barriers. Luckily the teachers were very supportive, and they encouraged me academically as well.
Dawson says she’s grateful to her hearing parents for the way they took onboard her deafness. “I was fortunate in the way my mum, an anthropologist, just saw it as another culture and language to learn. My late dad was a lawyer for Māori rights and growing up, they both advocated heavily to ensure I got improved access to the education system so I could keep up with my hearing peers. I was very lucky that my parents introduced me to the deaf community when I was quite young. I was going along to deaf events, I was involved in Deaf Club, and it felt like my second home there.”
Knowing that she had friends within the community meant she didn’t feel isolated because she knew she had a shared experience with other people out there.
Throughout high school, Dawson had a supportive teacher aide who helped ensure she could access the curriculum and not miss out on education and learning. Her teacher aide went back to University to learn NZSL so she could better communicate with Dawson during High School and it really made a difference.
Now in her third year as a NZSL Week Coordinator, Dawson loves finding ways for the deaf community to celebrate their language and culture together and is grateful for any opportunity to put the spotlight on her community and individuals that she gets to work with and meet each year.
“I wanted to work for Deaf Aotearoa because that way I could give back to the deaf community and world that is my other home, my community,” Dawson says. “I love our beautiful, expressive language – NZSL. I have been working for Deaf Aotearoa for eight years now. I initially started off with a brief stint as business support officer, but when the opportunity arose, I grabbed the chance to move into the role of executive assistant to the CEO. After five years, I took on a new challenge as the NZSL Week coordinator, to further grow and expand my events management, networking and promotional skills. I love that I get to work in an area that I’m passionate about – advocating, raising awareness of deaf people, and promoting NZSL.
“I love building relationships, after all I believe that the importance of building relationships and bridges with ‘hearing allies’ is central to enabling a better future for the deaf community. I love being an open book, and have ‘hearies’ ask me any kind of questions because that builds awareness that there’s no need for ‘us vs them’, we are just like everybody else, we just want to live, work, laugh, play like anyone – we just don’t hear.”
Most of the time deafness is an invisible disability, it’s not something you see, but when someone uses sign language, even just to say thank you or good morning, it’s like a recognition of the language and culture, and it makes you feel part of society, she explains.
“I do struggle a lot with what I do and don’t have access to and it can be incredibly frustrating – no matter what aspect of life, from education, the political scene to everyday life. That is why I am so passionate about equity and accessibility for all deaf people. It is my strong belief that I do not see myself as disabled, but that it is in fact society that is disabling me,” she says. “I encourage people to just start with a few signs. It can make our day. It’s really nice to see and makes us feel noticed and feel seen.”
Dawson’s advice to young people growing up deaf is for them to know that they’re not alone, to be kind to themselves, and take the time to look after themselves, because everyone is on a different journey.
“There’s no right or wrong way. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got hearing aids or a cochlear implant, or nothing at all, if you’re using an oral method of communication or sign language, just to be comfortable in your own skin and feel connected to what’s best for you. If you are feeling lost, try and meet other deaf people at a local deaf club or find some people who have a similar experience.
When Dawson was 15, she went to the World Federation of the Deaf Youth Camp in Sweden where there were children from around the world.
“It just was such an incredible experience, making me proud of my identity, culture and language. It made me have sense of community and feel much more determined, so when I came back to New Zealand, I had the energy and the pride to do more for my local community. That internal struggle and the feeling of where should I fit in had gone from that experience,” she says.
“See what’s out there, you can find a space to navigate through. It’s important to go on your own journey and explore your own identity in life.”
Dawson has a positive attitude and has overcome many hurdles, gaining two qualifications from Victoria University of Wellington – a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology and a Certificate in Deaf Studies: Teaching NZSL. She also loves to dance, feeling the rhythm and beat of music, trying craft beers (thanks to her hubby) and cooking Asian cuisine for her family. Dawson and her deaf husband are raising their five-year-old hearing daughter bilingually and biculturally, and she is doing well to share her skills with others and learn more as she grows.
It’s New Zealand Sign Language Week this week (May 8 to 14, 2023) and Deaf Aotearoa is encouraging all Kiwis to give signing a go.
Join in on the daily “Seven Minutes of Signing Challenge” each day, only using NZSL. You can do this with your colleagues, whānau or friends. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but just have a willingness to try! Because the more New Zealand Sign Langauge being used in Aotearoa, the more our deaf community feel seen and included.
Find out more at nzslweek.org.nz, where you’ll also find downloadable “cheat sheets” to make learning a few key signs easy and fun!
