The word essential has taken on a new level of importance in recent years, with essential workers coming under the spotlight as New Zealand Aotearoa has navigated through Covid-19 lockdowns, traffic light settings and other rules and requirements.
For Chris Waite and his family, however, essential doesn't just refer to Chris's work as a tanker driver, it's also the focus of this year's New Zealand Sign Language Week which took place last week, and is a language Chris, his wife Chanelle and their three children all use fluently.
Chris and Chanelle were both born profoundly Deaf, meaning sign language really is essential in their day to day communication with each other and their three sons. When it comes to communicating with other people however, it would be great if more people were able to use New Zealand Sign Language, says Chanelle.
"The more people use sign language, the easier Deaf people can access more of the society around them, which helps with our well-being. People don't realise how many barriers we face, and this has got worse during Covid-19 with masks making it hard for us to lip read for example. Not everyone takes their mask off when we ask, and this can be frustrating."