On the inaugural International Day of Sign Languages on 23 September, Expression Australia and ABC NEWS are partnering to provide an Auslan (Australian Sign Language) interpreted and captioned national news bulletin.
“With over 10,000 Auslan users across Australia and with one in six Australians being deaf or hard of hearing, being able to access the news through Auslan interpreting and captioning is a positive for accessibility in Australia”, said Christine Mathieson, CEO Expression Australia. “It underscores ABC NEWS’s commitment to access and inclusion for all Australians.”
Last year the United Nations General Assembly declared 23 September as International Day of Sign Languages. Adopted at the 72nd United Nations General Assembly, the aim is to recognise the universal goal of inclusion and equality through accessibility. The International Day of Sign Languages is part of International Week of the Deaf, celebrated annually since 1958.
Director, ABC NEWS Gaven Morris said: “ABC NEWS is pleased to again work with Expression Australia to provide a fully accessible news bulletin. Our Auslan-interpreted and captioned bulletin last year had a strong response, showing the support the Australian public has for accessibility.”
An Auslan interpreter will be visible to the audience through a picture-in-picture display during the ABC NEWS National bulletin at 7:00pm AEST on Sunday 23 September 2018. The bulletin will also be live captioned for people who are deaf or hard of hearing and do not use Auslan. The program will be made available on iview for later viewing.
Visit http://www.abc.net.au