image credit: Jen Collins. Creative commons some rights reserved. 

A chronic shortage of Auslan interpreters puts strain on the deaf community as the National Disability Insurance Scheme rolls out, reports Hannah Neale.

Jennifer Mcglaughlan, who is wearing her customary black outfit, uses her whole body when she talks. She is an Auslan interpreter.

Jen is a qualified Auslan interpreter who, after three years in the field, has decided to continue her education and go to university as ironically she cannot find full time work and support herself even though there is a chronic shortage of Auslan interpreters in Australia.

Auslan –Australian Sign Language– is the language used by the deaf community in Australia. It is spoken by communicating through hand gestures. Sign language is used all over the world to communicate although it varies from country to country.

"I would prefer more people to see deafness as a way of life rather than a disability" - Dylan Hill

Although there is a chronic shortage of Auslan interpreters, Jen says “there are not many full time jobs for interpreters so it can be hard to support yourself”.

In 2015, the Deaf Society of NSW reported that in a 30 day period, there were 79 assignments for which they couldn’t provide interpreters. This is a major concern for the deaf community as interpreters are a vital resource, especially necessary for activities such as medical appointments, meetings and university classes. According to a report in 2004 by the Department of Social Services, 87 per cent of Auslan users required an interpreter in the previous 12 months.

Shortage of interpreters affects the deaf community making everyday tasks more difficult. Dylan Hill and Jennifer Mcglaughlan offer insight.

This chronic shortage puts strain on the deaf community as it makes life more difficult. Jen says “a lot of interpreters are guilt ridden” when they cannot make a job because they know someone’s life will be affected.

Deaf from birth Dylan Hill, a teacher at the Deaf Society, says “there’s really not enough interpreters to provide the service we need”.

“I would prefer more people to see deafness as a way of life rather than a disability. I never see deafness as a disability in general. A lot of people ask me how I identify myself and they expect me to say ‘I’m deaf and that’s a big part of me’ but it’s just a part of me; it doesn’t identify who I am.”  

Dylan Hill and Jennifer Mcglaughlan discuss how deafness is perceived in our society. 

According to the Department of Social Services 2004 report, interpreting jobs were broken up as follows: 49 per cent  for education; 10 per cent for employment; 17 per cent for medical appointments; 6 per cent  for legal and financial appointments; and 17 per cent for other matters.  

Dylan and Jen put the shortage down to a lack of awareness and training opportunities for interpreters.

Dylan says, “There are not enough properly trained accredited interpreters. The training itself is not really ongoing and consistent. There is a lot involved in that learning of language.”

Jen wasn’t aware that Auslan interpreting was an available career path until the end of high school where she says she “just fell into it”.

“People don’t know about it. If there was more awareness then more people would do it,” she says.

Auslan interpreting is a rewarding career offering flexible working hours, she says.  “You get full access to people’s lives so it really can be amazing.  There is no such thing as a typical day.”

"There's really not enough interpreters to supply the service we need" - Dylan Hill

However, Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is an occupational hazard for interpreters. It is caused by the repetitive tasks and movements that characterise Auslan. Jen, who has only been interpreting for three years, is already suffering from it.

Jennifer Mcglaughlan reminisces about the connections and moments she gets to experience as an Auslan interpreter.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme, being rolled out in stages from July this year, seeks to address these issues by increasing access to Auslan interpreters for the deaf community.

Dylan says the lack of understanding and respect for Auslan is because it is not regarded as an official language. This affects the way in which it is taught and perceived. He says,   “There is not adequate education provided to deaf people, they kind of get lost. My hope is that Auslan  becomes an accredited language so it could be provided efficiently.”