Key Points
- Deaf Australians have welcomed the prime minister's use of Auslan interpreters
- They say there's still a long way to go to ensure true accessibility.
Deaf Australians have welcomed the live Auslan interpretation of an Anthony Albanese press conference, after weeks without it.
But members of the community say there's still a long way to go to ensure true accessibility.
SBS News contacted the prime minister's office on Tuesday about the issue, and was told the government was "committed to accessible communication for all Australians".
"The government plans to use Auslan interpreters regularly," a spokesperson told SBS News.
On Thursday morning, a press conference Mr Albanese held about climate change and Australia's energy crisis was broadcast with Auslan interpretation.
Deaf Australia chief executive Jen Blyth said she was surprised but "very pleased" to find out the press conference was interpreted.
"I had come to expect an inaccessible government, especially given the PM did not have an Auslan interpreter at his very first speech," she told SBS News.
Auslan user Sherrie Beaver said while it was "a good start", it should be "standard practice for the government to ensure their press conferences are accessible for all Australians".
"It should not have taken SBS or any other media outlets to contact the PMO (prime minister's office) for them to act on it," she told SBS News.
Anthony Albanese's press conference on Thursday morning was the first since he became prime minister to be Auslan interpreted. Source: AAP / MICK TSIKAS
Ms Beaver said it "doesn't send a good message" to the thousands of people who use Auslan as their main form of communication.
"If hearing people are able to access pressers [press conferences] no matter where they are, on their smart devices, then Deaf people should be able to do the same," she said.
Ms Blyth said it's clear "there isn't enough of a genuine understanding of accessibility" within the government.
"I feel disappointed that the first time our new PM had an Auslan-interpreted announcement, I missed out on this and still have missed out because it's not recorded anywhere," she said.
"We aren't being choosy beggars, we are simply asking for genuine, consistent, and reliable inclusion and accessibility."
Neither Employment Minister Tony Burke nor Foreign Minister Penny Wong's press conferences on Thursday afternoon were Auslan interpreted.
"In an ideal world, all press conferences would be interpreted. The reality though is that we probably don't have enough interpreters to be available all the time, given the great demand and short supply," Ms Blyth said.
"I'd like to understand who chooses which press conferences to have an interpreter for, and when and where – and also who is choosing the interpreter.
"This really should be chosen by a cohort of Deaf people, not hearing people."
Jen Blyth says Auslan is the first language of many Deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing people. Source: Supplied
"We get education, we go to work, we access services, and we're also taxpayers," she said.
"Having access to all government press conferences through Auslan interpreters gives us opportunities to make informed decisions that impact our lives as Australians, and how we can contribute to the Australian society and how we can support our communities."
Ms Blyth said while captions and subtitles serve a purpose for many Deaf and hard of hearing people, they aren't an adequate replacement for an Auslan interpreter.
"Auslan is not a literal translation of English; it's a language of its own, and it caters to the needs specifically of Deaf people and Deaf culture," she said.
"For Deaf people who use Auslan, they may have experienced language deprivation early on in their life ... so when they're trying to read English captions, they might not actually understand them," she said.
"There are often gaps when it's live, or, you know, the English is not always very clear and it doesn't catch the nuances within the language or the tone of somebody's voice."
Ms Blyth said the language and jargon used by politicians can also be "quite difficult to understand".
"We need someone who can sort of bridge the cultural needs of the Deaf person," she said.
"If there's an Auslan interpreter, there's more chance that they'll be able to understand the information because it's provided in an accessible way for the community."
Sherrie Beaver says being given access to information from the government in Auslan will help Deaf and hard of hearing Australians make better-informed decisions about issues that affect them. Source: Supplied / Sherrie Beaver
"The PM has an opportunity here to influence all ministers and departments in his government to ensure they are accessible for every Australian, including those who use Auslan," she said.
If it doesn't, Australia will remain "behind" other nations such as the United States and New Zealand where sign language interpreters are provided for leaders' daily press conferences, Ms Beaver said.
She said that Australia would also be neglecting its obligations under Article 21 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet manages a contract with Deaf Connect for Auslan interpreting services, which was renewed following Labor's election win in May.
Ms Blyth said Deaf Australia had contacted Mr Albanese twice since he became prime minister about the absence of Auslan interpreters at government press conferences, but received no response.
"Honestly, I had expected the PM to include an interpreter from the first day because Mr Albanese did call out Mr Morrison last year for not having Auslan interpreters at pressers on their social media accounts," she said.
"We're always happy to talk with Anthony Albanese or anyone in government in order to find a good solution and make it happen for the Australian Deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing communities."
"Imagine if the PM could communicate in Auslan? How radical would that be?"
Ms Blyth said it's vital the specific needs of individual groups in the Deaf community - including First Nations people and refugees - are catered to.
"It's more than just one conversation and one solution," she said.
