Launched last year, a bilingual Tongan English sign language booklet ‘Tohi talanoa Nima’ is more than just a learning resource — it has sparked the formation of a national body determined to secure equal access to education, information and opportunity for deaf Tongans.

The booklet was developed by audiologist Dr Philip Luey, Dr Emma Luey and Lupe Punaivaha, with funding support from Australian Aid and the Rotary Club of Nuku’alofa. It introduces basic signs designed to assist Tongan people with hearing impairments, particularly young children in the deaf community.

Following its release, the Tonga National Deaf Association (TNDA) was established to build on that foundation. Its mission is to collect local Tongan signs and develop an official sign language and national sign language platform for Tonga.

Today, the association has around 100 registered deaf members, ranging from young children to adults — though advocates say many more Tongans are living with hearing impairments. The organisation is led primarily by members of the deaf community, including its president, Fisi’ilose Metui, one of Tonga’s deaf adults.

“Our vision is for our child members of the deaf community to have equal education opportunities. Here in Tonga every child has the right to education from class one to class six and form 1 to form 7.

“However, there has never been a deaf child to graduate from form 7 and to have a certification to pursue further studies so that one person can come and have a good impact here in Tonga.”

Educational access remains limited. Two government primary schools — Ngele’ia and GPS Hoi — currently serve a small number of deaf students. At secondary level, there are three deaf students at Acts Community School, one at Liahona, and one at Toloa.

Lupe Punaivaha, now office manager for the Tonga National Deaf Association, says the central issue is communication.

“Many of the deaf community cannot get around because of the communication barrier. This booklet is a start for everyone to have a fair idea of what a complete sign language for Tonga would look like in the future,” Lupe said.

She said the deaf community remains under-represented in Tonga.

“I believe that our deaf children can reach their goals. They are very smart and capable people we are just not giving them the right resources.”

Drawing comparisons with overseas deaf communities, she noted that progress comes when inclusion is prioritised.

She explained that the deaf community overseas are advanced because they fight for inclusion and the governments give them that equal access to education and information that they deserve. Whereas in Tonga it is very hard to have access to education.

Overseas deaf run their own businesses and achieve their career goals.

Advocacy for equal access

“We can see that same passion in our deaf community’s young ones, they have a dream as well, but we are not providing them that pathway to reach their passions. We want to push for that equal access for our young deaf members,” Lupe said.

For Lupe, the advocacy is deeply personal.

Her 13-year-old daughter, Faith Punaivaha, is a member of the deaf community and a Form Three student at Acts Community School. The sixth of eight children, Faith enjoys archery and is already becoming a young advocate in her own right.

“My daughter was born a healthy hearing baby. She had already picked up words and called names around toddler age. She got sick with meningitis at a very young age. She started having seizures and we were in and out of the hospital for quite a time and the side effects of it was she lost her hearing,” said Lupe. Ten years ago there was no deaf organisation to turn to in Tonga.

“When I found out that she was sick it was so hard I did not know what to do as a mother ... so I turned to the internet and googled sign language,” Lupe said. Today, Faith shares “sign of the day” videos on her Facebook page and sells T-shirts printed with sign language designs — small but powerful steps toward awareness and inclusion.

Challenges

Despite growing momentum, significant challenges remain. Tonga does not yet have an officially recognised sign language or certified interpreters. While audiologists are available, there is no routine hearing screening for babies or young children, with testing typically only possible once a child is old enough to communicate with a doctor. Members of the deaf community also face social stigma, including mockery of their sign language.

The Tonga National Deaf Association is currently running public awareness projects, supported by funding from the Disability Rights Fund and Direct Funds. For Tonga’s deaf community, ‘Tohi talanoa Nima’ was only the beginning. The larger goal — equal access, official recognition, and a clear pathway to opportunity — is still ahead.