Equity-related events and resources

NZ Sign Language Week  5-11 May 2025

Watch a video by student Isy Pou made with help from a member of the Deaf community and translating Six60's Sundown.

• Learn the sign language alphabet from this instructional video.
• Learn the alphabet - poster
• The NZSL Online Dictionary is available at nzsl.nz - a free app
• Let's Talk - Emergencies - 25 signs to learn for emergencies

Global Accessibility Awareness Day Thursday 15 May 2025

Read about a student startup using virtual reality to help neurodivergent people practise for employment challenges, called Socius XR.

Resources

• Creating accessible communications
  
• Design for accessibility  (TeachWell)
  
• UDOIT accessibility assistant for Canvas (TeachWell)
  
• Inclusive Design for Canvas course (Canvas) (publicly available to all teaching staff)
• Inclusive Design for Online Accessibility - downloadable poster resource
• ADCET's video Universal Design for Learning in tertiary education

For more information about Accessibility Awareness: see Accessible University and also Access Advisors.

Mental Health Awareness Week  6-12 October 2025

• The University defines mental illness as a disability
  
• One in five adult New Zealanders will experience mental illness this year
  
• We have resources and support for staff
  
• Te Papa Manaaki | Campus Care has mental health advisers providing long-term support to students with diagnosed mental health conditions

Rainbow/LGBTQIA+Takatāpui and MVPFAFF+ friendly teaching and learning online resource

This online Canvas resource has been designed to support Waipapa Taumata Rau teaching staff to provide safe, inclusive, equitable and welcoming learning environments which affirm whanaungatanga and manaakitanga and enable our Rainbow students and communities to thrive.

Modules include:

• Background and context
  
• Key concepts and terms
• Intersectionality
• LGBTQIA+ identities
• Pronouns
• Supporting individual students
• Ally skills and advocacy

For more information and to complete the online course modules, please go to Canvas: https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/113745

Family and relationship violence: It’s Not OK

Family/relationship violence and abuse is unacceptable. Every person is
entitled to respect, and to live free from fear and abuse.

Held throughout the year, family/relationship violence training sessions are open to all staff and include how to manage disclosures, making these particularly valuable to front line staff.  Register via Career Tools.

Working with Unconscious Bias

Everyone has implicit or unconscious bias.  Presentations and workshops are held through the year and are delivered by Staff Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (HR).  They are available for all university staff. Register via Career Tools.

• Refugees As Survivors NZ a mental health and wellbeing service for refugees in New Zealand.
• New Zealanders' Perceptions of Refugees (PDF) is the report from a survey undertaken in 2020  by Refugees As Survivors NZ in collaboration with Colmar Brunton.