If you see the staff at Tauranga Art Gallery greeting you with their arms at elbow height and their palms facing upwards with a big smile on their face, it means welcome.

They are signing the words in recognition of New Zealand Sign Language Week, which runs from today until May 10. According to Deaf Aotearoa NZ, more than 100 Deaf and hard of hearing people live in the Bay of Plenty from Waihi to Rotorua.

Tauranga Art Gallery educator Kelly Sheridan will guide visitors on a free Signed Tour at the gallery this month. Photo: Supplied.

To raise awareness for the Bay's Deaf community, Tauranga Art Gallery, in association with Deaf Aotearoa NZ, is hosting a free Signed Tour at the Art Gallery on May 9, from 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

At 3pm, Gallery Educator Kelly Sheridan, who is a qualified sign language user, will guide visitors around the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition.

'I'm incredibly impressed that signing is recognised as an official language in NZ,” says Kelly. 'That's why I think it would be fantastic if everybody had some knowledge of that language.

'For a lot of people it's their first language, so it's very important that they can access information in the same way everybody should be able to.”

Kelly says the gallery is planning to educate front of house staff on a few introductory signs so they'll be able to welcome Deaf visitors as they arrive.

'We want to offer total inclusion,” she adds. 'We want all of our staff to be more confident in signing basic greetings and to enjoy being able to welcome all of our visitors who come through the doors.”

They're also planning to upload a welcome video on the gallery website for people who are Deaf.

'It means all the information about our opening hours, where to find us and what we deliver will all be accessible through sign,” says Kelly.

Sign language is a combination of hand shapes, facial expressions and body movements and has its own structure and grammar that's different from English.

For more information about a visit to the gallery and a tour with Kelly, email: deaflink@artgallery.org.nz

Deaf Aotearoa NZ hold monthly Stir It Up meetings at Sugar Plum Tree Café at the Historic Village for people of all ages who want to experience and learn NZ Sign Language.