Heal Country with Indigenous Sign Language – NAIDOC week
Hi Everyone
Im the interim CEO of Deaf Australia Rodney Adams
This week we celebrate NAIDOC week
What is NAIDOC? NAIDOC respects the traditions and history of first nations people in Australia - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people.
The theme for this week is ‘Heal Country’? why the theme ‘Heal Country’? Its because Aborigianl and Torres Strait people have a strong connection to land. That connection is our identity and we celebrate our identity spiritually, emotionally, culturally and linguistically.
In the short term Deaf Australia want to share some Indigenous Sign Language as linguistically it was a way to connect to our country in a way that Heals. This is a vey important part of Aboriginal culture traditionally and in the future. So we are excited to share some interesting information about healing country.
Deaf Australia Chief Executive Kyle Miers Moves On
Kyle Miers, Chief Executive of Deaf Australia, has submitted his resignation to the Board of Deaf Australia. Kyle is leaving Deaf Australia to lead a new service. His last day at Deaf Australia is Friday 9 April 2021.
Kyle was appointed as Chief Executive of Deaf Australia in 2014. He previously served on Deaf Australia’s Board between 2002 and 2011, including as President between 2005 and 2010.
“The opportunity to serve and lead Deaf Australia during a dynamic time at the organisation has been a highlight of my career,’ said Mr Miers. “Because Deaf Australia is a true consumer organisation where deaf people represent deaf people, we have been able to effectively gain prominence and recognition of deaf people’s issues and our organisation to Australian governments, members of the deaf community and service providers.”
During his tenure with Deaf Australia, Kyle has advocated for and achieved the following:
Inclusion of ‘Auslan’ as a language prompt in the Census 2021. This prompt will encourage Auslan users to write Auslan as a language used at home and will provide us and the Australian government with accurate information on the population of Auslan users in Australia.
Communicated with Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments on the importance of accessible television announcements for emergency and disaster broadcasts, which resulted in ongoing provision of interpreters on television during these announcements.
Provided advice to Department of Social Services to effectively communicate with deaf people in the transitioning of the National Auslan Booking and Payment Services (NABS) into the NDIS.
Worked with Western Australian and Victorian Governments to amend their Jury Acts to allow deaf people to serve as jurors, as a result of a successful campaign in the Australian Capital Territory.
Worked with South Australian and New South Wales Governments in their reviews of education for deaf and hard of hearing children with a view to improved quality in education.
Successfully lodged a proposal that the World Federation of the Deaf adopt our Sign Symbol as the International Symbol for Sign Language.
Prepared an extensive ‘Community of Practice’ Report for the NDIS that covers all areas of supports and needs for deaf and hard of hearing people.
Worked to ensure federal and state/territory elections would be accessible with the provision of interpreters at pre-polling booths.
Kyle has provided strong leadership for the organisation and created common ground for collaboration between government agencies and the community, particularly during the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the COVID -19 pandemic.
“We have taken our responsibility for deaf people’s rights to have to access to information and accessible communication seriously, and much of our time has been focussed on how we can address and improve services to meet these needs,” Mr Miers said.
At the beginning of his tenure, Kyle was faced with a significant financial challenge when the Australian Government slashed recurrent funding for national information and advocacy services. This saw a reduction in staff and a threat to Deaf Australia’s sustainability.
With the support of the Board, Kyle has been able to diversify sources of funding and has implemented new organisational strategies. This saw Deaf Australia’s funding grow from a bare $27,500 per annum to $900,000 per annum for the next couple years.
“On behalf of the Deaf Australia Board, I have had the pleasure of working with Kyle during his tenure with Deaf Australia. He has been a champion advocate and an effective leader for the deaf community,” said Ms Debra Swann, Chairperson of Deaf Australia. “Kyle will leave a big hole in Deaf Australia; however, I believe that his legacy will carry on for years.”
Kyle migrated from the United States in 1995, having grown up in residential schools for the deaf where he was educated by teachers who all used American Sign Language (ASL). He brought his experience and passion for deaf rights to the Australian Deaf Community.
He was a founding member of Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO), Australian Communication Consumers Action Network (ACCAN) and the World Federation of the Deaf – Oceania.
He also served on a number of national disability advisory groups: Australian Electoral Commission, Early Intervention and Childhood Development, Disability Employment, NDIS’s CEO Forum, Department of Social Services’ Disability Gateway, Australian Communication Consumers Action Network and others. On all of these, his purpose was to improve quality, support and services for deaf and hard of hearing people.
On behalf of Deaf Australia Board, we wish Kyle all the best in his future endeavours and we thank him for all his hard work for the Australian Deaf Community.
Click to Logo to view Auslan translation of Media Release
14 September 2020
Deaf Australia is launching a new logo to signify our core value and belief that sign language is a fundamental human right for deaf and hard of hearing people.
Recently we reviewed our organisational capacity and current funding structure, our relationship with stakeholders, our public and community profile, and we decided to change our logo to better reflect who we are now.
Deaf Australia is renewing our focus towards promoting and recognising the rights for deaf and hard of hearing people to use and access sign languages; to strengthen deaf and hard of hearing people to be empowered through effective supports and resources; and to promote providers in catering the needs of deaf and hard of hearing people so that everyone can play an important role in the community.
In the previous year, Auslan has gained prominence through high profile partnerships with Huawei/StorySign and Canberra Raiders, the first Auslan presentation at the National Press Club in its entirety, and constant exposure of Auslan interpreters on broadcast networks and social media.
As many as 25,000 primary and secondary students across Australia are learning Auslan through the National Language Curriculum program.
The Census 2021 survey will include ‘Auslan’ as a language prompt for the first time which will provide us with better data which will help us identify what work needs to be done to fully realise the potential of deaf people.
In addition, some Aboriginal Sign Languages have also gained prominence in recent research publications showing the importance of sign language with the development of community and cultural identity, which is the fundamental human right that is enshrined in the United Nations Human Rights Charter.
Deaf Australia has directly and indirectly contributed to all these and innumerable other achievements.
Our new logo is a testament of who we are, what we have accomplished, and what we aspire to achieve.
Deaf seniors over 65 years of age can finally access Auslan supported services with the Aged Care Services.
Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck, Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, has announced yesterday that a free sign language interpreting services will soon be available for seniors who are deaf and deafblind or hard of hearing and allow them to access appropriate assistance to aged care services.
Deaf Australia is pleased that the Government has ‘heard’ the call from the deaf community, including the Australian Deaf Elders, to fill the gap with the existing services that leave deaf seniors vulnerable and at risk of negligence.
Auslan (Australian Sign Language) is the primary or preferred language of many sign language users and rely on Auslan to gain information and make informed decisions that otherwise cannot be acquired without Auslan service.
‘This comprehensive new sign language interpreting service will make our aged care system far more accessible for people who are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing’, said Minister Colbeck.
Auslan Connections will be responsible to provide interpreting services for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing seniors to access aged care services.
Additional Information:
National Auslan Booking Services (NABS) will continue to be provided to non-registered National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants until 31 March 2021 to access interpreting assistance for private medical appointments. From 1 April 2021, this service will be available only for seniors over 65 and/or who are ineligible for NDIS.
For the first time, the National 2021 Census will refer to ‘Auslan’ as a language option. This is a major win for the Deaf Community in their struggle to have Auslan users recognised in the population. Deaf Australia has been working with the Australian Bureau of Statistics since 2007 to address the issue of adding ‘Auslan’ as one of the language options.
Deaf Australia had attempted to amend the 2011 and 2016 Censuses without success. The Deaf Community conducted massive campaigns for its members to write down ‘Auslan’ in the ‘If other, please write’ option in both Censuses. Despite this, Deaf Australia views that previous data collected is not reflective of the actual numbers of Auslan users in Australia. This was due to the limited reach of the campaigns and many Auslan users still unaware they could write it as an ‘other’ language.
The National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreting has stated that Auslan interpreting is third highest language provision behind Arabic and Mandarin (Chinese) languages in Australia. Despite this – and based on the Census 2016 – Auslan is ranked 44th as an ‘other’ language and as such does not warrant a significant profile as the top 5 languages.
Statistics show Auslan was first recorded in the 2001 Census. Since then, every Census has noted a significant increase of Auslan users. In 2001 Auslan users numbered 5,306. This increased to 11,682 in 2016.
In the 2021 Census, the question asking ‘Does (person) use a language other than English at home? the prompt question in the ‘other language’ will state, “If other, for example, Auslan, please write here’.
Speaking about the Census 2021 new language option, Deaf Australia Chairperson, Todd Wright, said,
‘The inclusion of “Auslan” as a prompt in the ‘other’ language option is a significant win for the Deaf Community. This will make it easier for us to determine more accurately the number of Auslan users in Australia enabling us to work more effectively towards greater participation, awareness and addressing the community’s needs.’
We are a diverse range of organisations from across Australia, representing the interests of people with disability, their families, carers and support persons. Collectively, we have significant, direct and growing knowledge of the impact of Coronavirus (COVID19) on people with disability in Australia.
Australians with disability represent some of the most excluded of all
Australians in relation to the impacts of Coronavirus. Our needs remain largely
forgotten as evidenced by the fact that people with disability are rarely if
ever, mentioned in any press conference, media release or government
conversation about Coronavirus. The national discourse relating to Coronavirus
is inherently ableist – preferencing able-bodied
people as the norm. This ableist discourse is resulting in the exclusion of
people with disability in efforts to prevent the spread of and address, the impact
of the Coronavirus.
We are deeply concerned by the lack of specific and targeted measures
from Australian Governments to proactively protect and support people with
disability, their families, carers and support persons from the impact of
COVID19.
We call on all Australian Governments to take the following URGENT actions to protect the lives of Australians with disability in the context of COVID19:
Guarantee continuity of supports for all people with disability
Expand criteria for COVID19 testing to include people with disability and their support persons.
Urgently improve information and communications to be inclusive of all people with disability.
Take measures to remove the barriers to adequate healthcare for people with disability.
Include recipients of the Disability Support Pension (DSP) in the Coronavirus Supplement of $550 per fortnight.
Urgently define what constitutes an ‘essential service’ for people with disability.
Ensure effective measures are in place to recognise and respond to violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect of people with disability.
Prevent discrimination of students with disability in the provision of education.
Ensure the human rights of people with disability in congregate and other settings are upheld.
Adequately resource Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPOs) and Disability Representative Organisations (DROs) to enable support of, and advocacy for, people with disability.
First Peoples Disability Network Women with Disabilities Australia People with Disability Australia National Ethnic Disability Alliance Children and Young People with Disability Australia Australian Federation of Disability Organisations Disability Advocacy Network Australia Deaf Australia Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia Deafblind Australia Deafness Forum of Australia Brain Injury Australia Inclusion Australia Blind Citizens Australia Down Syndrome Australia Physical Disability Australia Every Australian Counts Disability Resources Centre Advocacy Ideas Disability Justice Australia Enhanced Lifestyles National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum Imagine More Advocacy Western Australia Midland Information Debt and Legal Advocacy Service Melbourne East Disability Advocacy Queensland Advocacy Incorporated Family Advocacy Grampians Disability Advocacy Syndromes Without A Name Advocacy Tasmania Southwest Advocacy Association Victorian Rural Advocacy Network Assert 4 All Colac Otway Region Advocacy Service Disability Information and Advocacy Service Gipplsland Disability Advocacy Community Resource Unit AED Legal Centre ANTaR Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health People with Disabilities Western Australia Association for Children with Disability Tasmania Association for Children with a Disability Victoria All Means All Queensland Collective for Inclusive Education Southern Disability Advocacy Rights Information and Advocacy Centre Regional Disability Advocacy Service Youth Disability Advocacy Service National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services Spinal Cord Injuries Australia Barwon Disability Resource Council North East Citizen Advocacy Julia Farr Youth Leadership Plus VALID Women with Disabilities Victoria Citizens Advocacy Perth West Speakout Advocacy Developmental Disability WA Women with Disabilities ACT Council for Intellectual Disability Citizen Advocacy Sunbury South Australian Council on Intellectual Disability Parent to Parent Queensland People with Disabilities ACT Aspergers Victoria Disability Advocacy and Complaints Service of South Australia Disability Advocacy Victoria
We acknowledge and respect the members of the Deaf Community in Australia, who preserve their rich heritage, culture and our language; Auslan (Australian Sign Language). We also acknowledge our custodians of Auslan, promoting awareness, equality and access through our sign language. Through Auslan, we inspire future leaders in our deaf community to continue our legacy and heritage.
The Deaf Community in Australia
has sought to gain recognition and acknowledgement for their key role in the
community for preserving, promoting and inspiring the culture, language and identities
of deaf people.
Deaf people are present in every
culture and society including Indigenous Australians who had well-developed
sign systems before the European Settlement. The first recorded deaf European-born
migrant in Australia is Elizabeth (Betty) Steel who arrived on the Second Fleet
as a convict in 1790.
Since then, there have been many
Australians, including Aboriginals and migrants, who have contributed in every
fabric of the Australian society, making Australia one of the most diverse
nations in the world.
Through deaf people, many
businesses prospered and reaped financially and economically. Through deaf
people, many services sought and lobbied by and for deaf people also benefited
the rest of the Australian community and more. Through deaf people, they have
raised awareness of the value of their community, their sense of belonging and
identity, and their quest for life, pursuing opportunities, self-determination
and appealing for a “fair-go” in the wider community and between themselves.
‘The statement acknowledges and respects the past and present members of the deaf community who have and will, in many ways, endures the legacy of the Deaf Community and marks the importance of dignity, self-worth and identity’, said Mr Todd Wright, Chairperson of Deaf Australia.
The members of the Deaf Community
formally endorsed this Deaf Acknowledgement statement at the Annual General
Meeting for Deaf Australia in 2018.
Huawei’s AI-powered app is now Auslan compatible, helping deaf and hard of hearing children and their parents to enjoy story time together.
SYDNEY, Australia — March 7, 2019
Huawei, a leader in global technology, has today announced the launch of StorySign app in Australia, which uses the power of AI to enrich story time for deaf and hard of hearing children and their parents by creating an authentic reading experience.
Officially announced last year and now available in Auslan, the sign language of Australia’s deaf community, Huawei’s StorySign app harnesses the power of AI to open the world of books to deaf children and their families. Featuring popular children’s book ‘Where’s Spot?’ and using the help of StorySign’s friendly avatar Star, the app uses AI to translate popular children’s books into perfect sign language page by page, delivering a seamless user experience.
To mark the Australian launch of Huawei’s StorySign app, Emma ‘Yellow Wiggle’ Watkins has partnered as an ambassador. As a passionate advocate for sign language and well recognised child entertainer, Emma is committed to supporting young children in the deaf community.
“Empowering deaf children is a cause close to my heart and it’s wonderful to see the power of technology used to make such a positive impact. I have found signing is a compelling way to connect with our young audience, so I’m delighted to take this connection further and be an ambassador of Huawei’s app; helping young deaf children participate in story-time.”
In Australia, around 400 children are born deaf each year*. With no written form for sign, children that are hard of hearing often struggle to connect sign language with the written word; posing reading challenges and ultimately impacting their literacy levels. The StorySign app, in conjunction with a smartphone and a physical book, delivers the best story time experience for both parent and child.
“With StorySign, Huawei is using the power of its AI and innovative technology in a meaningful way,” comments Lisa Connors, Huawei Australia Corporate Responsibility Manager. “We’re delighted to make this incredible StorySign app accessible to our local deaf community in Australia.”
Optimised for Huawei AI, features including Image Recognition and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) will create the best possible reading experience. The Image Recognition allows children to position the phone at an angle from the book and the app will still recognise the words perfectly, whilst the OCR permits the app to function with greater accuracy. The AI performance will also power the speed at which pages from the book can load in the app, meaning that children won’t be left waiting too long to find out what happens next in the story.
To raise awareness of deaf literacy, Huawei Australia continues its partnership with national charity organisation, Deaf Australia, to encourage support and donation for those affected with hard of hearing.
“The deaf community often struggles with content to address children’s literacy development needs. With the StorySign app now compatible with Auslan, Huawei is making digital tools accessible to Australian children. We are proud to continue our work with Huawei on the StorySign project as it unfolds in Australia.” said Kyle Miers, CEO of Deaf Australia.
As a sign of ongoing commitment to the StorySign initiative, Huawei is investing in local research to support a wider conversation about ensuring equality in every aspect of their lives for people in the deaf community.
StorySign is available on Android smartphones can be downloaded for free from Google Play Store. To watch the film and learn how you can help, visit www.storysign.com. Donations can be made via the StorySign campaign hub on the Huawei website, as well as through the ‘about’ section on the StorySign app. All money raised will support deaf child literacy projects in Australia, including more books for StorySign.
Huawei’s products and services are available in more than 170 countries and are used by a third of the world’s population. Fifteen R&D centers have been set up in the United States, Germany, Sweden, Russia, India and China. Huawei Consumer BG is one of Huawei’s three business units and covers smartphones, PC and tablets, wearables and cloud services, etc. Huawei’s global network is built on almost 30 years of expertise in the telecom industry and is dedicated to delivering the latest technological advances to consumers around the world.
ABOUT DEAF AUSTRALIA
Deaf Australia is the deaf-led peak organisation representing deaf people in Australia. We promote the advancement of human rights and equality for deaf people by collaborating with our members and stakeholders in implementing the United Nations Conventions and the National Disability Strategy. Deaf Australia is for all deaf, hard of hearing and non-deaf people and organisations (not-for-profit, for profit or government) that use and/or accept and respect Auslan (Australian Sign Language).
