This New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) week has been a particularly special one for a Deaf man in Auckland.
Gino Haines has received the award for Most Improved Flooring Apprentice of 2021, an achievement made possible because his boss was willing to learn NZSL.
Hamish Frost said he only knew a few signs when he employed Haines.
He saw potential in him and hoped to teach him a trade that would give him work for life, despite his deafness.
Frost told 1News, "I said, 'please can you teach me sign language?', so he did."
Four years on and Haines says, "I'm surprised we can actually communicate really fluently together."
The pair have come up with their own signs for the floor laying trade, with quick ways to say terms including carpet, underlay, temp nails and joining.
"It means we don't have to finger spell everything, that gets arduous," Haines said.
Other colleagues have now picked up sign language too, to be able to communicate with Haines.
Frost said, he even finds himself using it when Haines isn't around.
"One thing that's really good, is that, if I'm outside and my employee can be upstairs in a window, instead of having to yell I can talk to them using sign language."
He's encouraging other employers to embrace Deaf employees, as he has.
"It doesn't it matter who you employ, you're gonna have issues... don't look at deafness as a barrier, just another issue as an employer you have to overcome."
Frost says he's enjoyed the journey.
Haines says it's made a big difference to him, with his deafness previously considered a barrier.
"If a boss learns sign language, that's so great for his or her Deaf employees, it means they can be more on par with their hearing colleagues."
He said it means Deaf people can have a happier and more enjoyable life.
NZSL will be front and centre of the new Disability Ministry, currently being set up.
It'll be the first Government department to have an official NZSL name.
Geneva Hakaraia-Tino, who is in the ministry's establishment group said: "We acknowledge that the frustrations of the Deaf community have had over the years and NZSL hasn’t been given the full recognition it deserves as an official language.
"We are fortunate to have a strong existing New Zealand Sign Language strategy, which sets out the vision for the language going forward.
"I believe the new ministry will have a major role in giving prominence to this and bringing it to life."
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