David is Deaf and whakapapa Māori to Ngāpuhi. Fluent in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), he served on the NZSL Board for three years, contributing to the promotion and preservation of NZSL and advocating for Aotearoa's Deaf and Tangata Turi communities. As the current president of New Zealand Deaf Cricket, David champions Deaf sports and encourages participation at all levels. Co-founding Deaf Way, a charitable trust, David aims to create equitable information access for the Deaf and educate the hearing community to foster a more accessible world. David has three CODA (Children of Deaf Adults) children and a wife who is an NZSL interpreter.