Published on: 23rd September 2024
Deaf Connect launches Auslan90 | Australia’s first daily news bulletin in Auslan
To celebrate International Day of Sign Languages (September 23, 2024), Deaf Connect is excited to announce ‘Auslan90’, a pilot initiative that will bring the headlines to the Deaf community in daily 90-second videos, entirely in Auslan.
Auslan90 is supported by SBS News, which will supply news transcripts for translation into Auslan, ensuring the news is accurate, timely and accessible. The pilot is funded by the Federal Government Department of Social Services’ Information, Linkages and Capacity Building Program.
Released every weekday at 1:00pm AEST, Auslan90 provides the day’s top stories in a format designed specifically for Auslan users, as well as weekly ‘deep dive’ videos on certain news-related topics. This innovative program reflects the principles of sign language as a fully developed linguistic system, ensuring that Deaf Australians can receive the news in a way that is clear, nuanced, and culturally relevant.
Deaf Connect CEO Brett Casey says Auslan90 represents a significant step toward media inclusivity for Deaf Australians.
“We are incredibly proud to launch Auslan90 – Australia’s first daily news service created specifically for the Deaf community. This is more than just delivering the news – it’s about an Auslan-first approach in which accessibility for Deaf Australians is not an afterthought,” Mr Casey said.
“This agreement with SBS enables us to provide the high-quality, accurate news that all Australians expect, in a format that truly works for Deaf audiences. SBS’s dedication to accessibility, inclusion and multilingual content makes them the ideal partner for Auslan90.”
“Through this pilot Deaf Connect can trial a model that can be sustainable into the future and will hopefully show that Auslan accessibility can be achieved within the fast-paced media cycle.”
Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth said that this is an important step towards improving the accessibility of information and communications in Australia.
“People with disability deserve every opportunity to participate in all aspects of community life,” said Minister Rishworth.
“That’s why the Albanese Labor Government is proud to be investing $3.91 million to develop the Auslan Information Resource Hub through to June 2025, which includes the Auslan90 pilot.”
“By putting Auslan front and centre, we are making our news more accessible for everyone and solidifying Auslan as an important part of our cultural identity.”
SBS Director of News and Current Affairs, Mandi Wicks, said,
“SBS is committed to informing and serving Australia’s diverse communities, and our partnership with Deaf Connect on the Auslan90 pilot reflects that. By supporting this initiative, we’re helping to ensure Deaf Australians can access timely, accurate and trustworthy news in their language.”
The Auslan90 program will be live daily across Deaf Connect’s major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, ensuring broad access to the Deaf community. The program’s focus on delivering news in an Auslan-first format means that each story is carefully unpacked by a Deaf team of certified Auslan translators, content creators and presenters.
“This project represents more than just the headlines in Auslan”, Mr Casey further explained.
“Australians are used to seeing Auslan interpreters at press conferences during floods, bushfires and pandemics. While important, this is some of the only news content available to the Deaf community – in a landscape where hearing Australians can access news in their preferred format 24 hours a day.”
“Auslan90 is a crucial step forward in creating a more connected and accessible society for all Australians – and today’s announcement aligns well with International Day of Sign Languages’ focus on the sign language rights of Deaf people around the world.”
“Auslan90 is more than a news service – it’s a statement about the value and visibility of Auslan. We want this project to inspire other organisations to think about how they can make their own content more accessible to all Australians.”
The first episode of Auslan90 will be live on Deaf Connect’s social media channels on Monday 30 September 2024, including Facebook and YouTube.
Media Opportunities:
For all media enquiries contact: Ian Harvey Ross, Head of Marketing and Sales 0407 180 710 or [email protected]
Deaf Connect offer interpreting services for Auslan representation across all media. Interviews and comment are available from Deaf Connect CEO, Brett Casey.
Producing Auslan90
The Auslan News series will be produced in-house and curated by Deaf Connect from a pool of SBS News source content supplied daily. SBS will not have editorial oversight of the Auslan News videos.
