2025 Conference Report
Date: 14 July 2025. Subject: Be Seen Be Heard Be Connected - Deafblind Association of New Zealand Charitable Trust Conference –Deafblind at the Centre – Empowering Deafblind through Inclusive Design. 2025 June 26-28 July.
This report outlines the Aotearoa New Zealand context for delivery of Conference 2025, relationship building critical to our mahi and making this Conference a happening thing, logistical challenges, and the successes and outcomes that have inspired plans for our next Conference in 2028. We also note the learnings that offer us scope for improvement going forwards.
We acknowledge the connection with the Minister for Disability Issues Hon Louise Upston and the warm connections we made on the day, including the greeting for the tactile communication for “Hi” that she demonstrated.
Thank you to our Sponsors It takes vision, energy, and commitment ++ to put a seminar together for people who are marginalised in so many ways and to keep deafblind at the centre of it all. We are pleased to thank everyone we approached for support because everyone, without fail, believed in us and said yes ++, including support of our physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing!
• Blind Low Vision New Zealand with untold hours of staff support;
• Whaikaha for funding and support for over a year leading into Conference and supporting unmet needs;
• Te Tahi Ora for hearing our community and for funding;
• Dean Pemberton Limited for renting us the AV gear that worked so well at Conference and Andrew Bate for tirelessly working hard to keep everything running smoothly.
• Access Advisors, marketing, photography for meeting funding requirements and all-round fun;
• NZSL Sign language Board
• Community Operations, Lottery National Community;
• The Asian Network Community
• Vision Pacific Charitable Trust.
• New Plymouth Community Committee
This was our third biennial conference since being designated a Charitable Trust in 2016, although a few of the current team worked two years before that. Funding was secured, including our opportunity for deafblind people in Aotearoa NZ to expect a high level gathering that brings us together with people who can make the change for our daily challenges and unmet needs.
The Deafblind Association NZ Board are unremunerated, so we acknowledge Kevin Prince, President, Frysna Rimoni, Vice President, sally Britnell and Tom Eats, researchers, Phil Thorn for invaluable lived experience, and
Dave Karl who leads with Ethics and Compliance.
Cheryl Bate who holds us together and with Amanda comprises less than a full time equivalent.
The staff at the Brentwood Hotel are always welcoming and cognisant of our needs as deafblind and we thank them warmly for accommodating us in everything we requested.
I give particular thanks here to our AV team who worked tirelessly for months to make this conference the most accessible we have ever had and quote here from one of the interpreters, “This is the most accessible conference I have worked at in my career. The Tactile Communication in particular is Gold Standard! The screen looked just like something you see on the TV. Please reach out to us again.” And here I acknowledge those who are NZSL users first who came and contributed. This is a first and we welcome all the input that offers a myriad of perspectives into the world of ourselves as deafblind.
Be heard, Be connected – reconnecting. We promised a positive view of the world and the right of Deafblind people to be playing active and fulfilling lives doing whatever, and wherever we choose to do and to retain choice and control. The programme was exciting, Topics varied, and included technology, service delivery and advocacy.
Guest presenters discussed research, developments in hearing aid technology, low vision services, digital technology, health, and underscoring the avenues for our being seen, being heard, and being connected. Attention to Health & Safety we decreed paramount. We focused on developing a physically, emotionally, and culturally safe environment for all concerned as we know this is critical to encouraging full and frank engagement.
Voices in the Room we counted seventy-five (75) voices from across Aotearoa New Zealand on the inaugural International Day of Deafblindness as designated by the United Nations. We couldn’t be more pleased with our contribution to this on a Community Based Inclusive Design level.
With authenticity it can be noted that deafblind lead from the front. Collaboration however is the key and richness were inputed so willingly by whānau (family), Tactile Communication interpreters, presenters including CE Whaikaha, CE Blind Low Vision New Zealand, and Chair of the NZSL Board.
We were so pleased to have our patron, Hon Vanushi Walter, with us given her responsibilities to parliament sitting and the passing of The MP for Tāmaki Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, Cultural Engagement we acknowledge with gratitude the input of Brigham Anderson offering us through our contacts at Whaikaha freely, wisely, honourably, and lovingly gifted cultural understanding around Te Ao Māori that brings us squarely landed into our Aotearoa context. Te Aroha is one of my favourites and I was pleased to sing it as we were welcoming in the Minister. One of the learnings however is that before the protocols come the people and it takes quite some time to build cultural understanding of diversity of world views respected without dissent. We look forward to furthering respectful engagement and growing of relationships.
Volunteers we are grateful to Volunteer Wellington, Blind Low Vision NZ, Arts Access Aotearoa, and many of our personal friends, all Police Vetted. We were surrounded by volunteers who quickly became a team exuding warmth, practicality, enthusiasm, empathy, and an unquenchable desire to learn. Feedback showed we had offered extensive training in the induction for volunteer’s session held on site before delegates arrived. Every volunteer said they had learned something that enriched them and isn’t that the win-win for us all! Many said they would volunteer for us again.
In conclusion there is no healthy society without full inclusion for diversity, and we grow into that space with every engagement with you all.