Celebrate the identity and diversity of Deaf communities this International Day of Sign Languages
Tuesday 23 September is International Day of Sign Languages, a celebration of the linguistic identity and cultural diversity of Deaf communities worldwide. It commemorates the founding of the World Federation of the Deaf in 1951 and highlights the importance of sign languages in achieving human rights for all. Sign languages are not just tools for communication, they are expressions of identity, culture, and inclusion.
Deakin is committed to being a welcoming place for all and considering inclusion and accessibility in everything we do. A highlight of this is that we now have over 60 Student Services staff members learning Level 1 Australian Sign Language (Auslan) and including sign language in their daily interactions.
A student’s perspective on the impact of inclusive communication
Ramunas McRae, a Deakin PhD candidate who recently completed his thesis on Childhood communication access and mental health outcomes in Deaf adults, shared some of his experience navigating university life as a Deaf student.
‘The value of staff learning basic Auslan should not be underestimated. For Deaf students, being able to communicate directly with staff in our preferred language would greatly enhance the university experience. Something as simple as having a question answered at Student Central is taken for granted by hearing students but is often inaccessible to Deaf students. If staff were to learn even basic signs, it would set Deakin apart from other universities and demonstrate genuine commitment to inclusion’.
The importance of awareness
Ramunas highlighted the ongoing challenges and importance of increased awareness, ‘During my time as a student, ad hoc meetings and workshops were often organised, such as last-minute supervision sessions, library ‘drop-ins,’ guest lectures, and other incidental events that are a normal part of academic life. However, my ability to participate in these was limited because the demand for interpreters in Australia far exceeds supply, with a minimum two-week lead time required to secure one. Even when interpreters were organised and available at an event, there was some reticence of other students and staff to approach and talk with me, most likely because of lack of awareness and experience about how to communicate with Deaf people’.
Available DRC support
If you are Deaf or hard of hearing, you can reach out to the Disability Resource Centre (DRC) to explore timely and appropriate support with you. The DRC can help you with communicating your needs to academic staff, negotiating for necessary adjustments to assessments, accessing assistive technology and more.
Ramunas said of his experience with the DRC, ‘I received excellent support from the staff of the DRC who took responsibility for organising sign language interpreting and notetaking services for my regular meetings with supervisors and peers, as well as other transcription services during the research process. Interpreters were also provided for some events, for example, those organised by the Institute for Health Transformation’.
You can find out more and request support through the Disability Resource Centre webpage and further tips and advice can be found on the Deaf and hard of hearing resources webpage.
Want to learn more?
You can find out more about equity and inclusion at Deakin and how we are focused on creative a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for all students and staff on our Equity and Inclusion webpage.