telstra
Auslan for families at
Expression Australia.
Tech for good
Telstra’s ‘tech for good’ portfolio is all about technology
that benefits society and the planet. The Telstra Foundation,
through the Tech4Good Challenge, recently worked with 15
non-profit organisations – including Expression Australia – that
are passionate about improving accessibility for young people
with disability.
O
to develop an app that will
help remove the stigma and
improve mainstream community
attitudes towards deaf people.
The app – with a working
title of ‘Auslan Anywhere’ – will
provide key signs, sentences,
poetry, stories and even songs
in Auslan as well as best practice
guidelines for how to address and
livia Beasley is Expression communication barriers, but it is rare communicate with people who
Australia’s Youth she meets a hearing person who can are deaf or hard of hearing.
Engagement Officer. communicate with her through sign
Growing up, her home life was no
different to anyone else’s.
Even though she was born deaf,
language.
Through her work at Expression
“The difference between this app
and others that exist already is that
users will be able to request Auslan
Australia, Olivia has seen many translations for words they would like
communicating with her parents was young people experience these to know, and the deaf community will
never a challenge as they were deaf same challenges through school, then respond by uploading videos
too and used Auslan at home. sporting groups and other social to match these requests,” she said.
But, as soon as Olivia stepped
outside the front door, she entered
environments.
“These experiences are so
“All of the content would be
crowd sourced directly from the deaf
a world that can hear – and everyday common, and it got us thinking, community, giving them a sense of
situations like shopping, going what can we do to help embed ownership of the app.”
to the library or attending a Girl Auslan into everyday life to Guides’ meeting brought unique improve communication and social Tech4Good hub highlights more
challenges. interactions between the deaf about the Tech4Good Challenge
community and those with hearing?” and the 15 participating non-profit
Olivia said. organisations.
Like many deaf people, Olivia
employs multiple strategies like
writing things down and using
interpreters to help her overcome
62
started exploring opportunities
telstra
Through the Tech4Good
Challenge, Olivia and her team
The Telstra Foundation’s
www.exchange.telstra.com.au/
digital-futures/tech-for-good
linkonline.com.au