By Tyler Wright
A new Australian Sign Language (Auslan) community course has been welcomed by Hills residents hoping to learn to communicate with their Deaf and hard of hearing family, friends and peers.
Sassafras resident Michelle Hughes started her community teaching course at Olinda Community House at the beginning of 2022, and said there has been an evident “growing interest” towards learning sign language in the Dandenong Ranges.
“I couldn’t believe the amount of enrollments we got – it was crazy,” Michelle said.
“I didn’t want to knock anybody back because of my own experience trying to learn; when you enrol in a course, if they don’t get the numbers they cancel the course and you get your money back – then you wait another six months or a year to enrol in another [one].”
The communication support worker’s small business runs beginner, intermediate and conversation Auslan courses and term one saw 28 beginner students with another 17 joining in term two taught by three mentors per class.
“I’ve written the course and we teach with deaf tutors and mentors because I understand cultural appropriation; Auslan is not my language and I like to to be an authentic experience taught by a native Auslan signer as well as breaking down that communication barrier,” Michelle said.
“One lady learns with her ten year old son…I’ve got a lady enrolling next term [who already] did beginners; she wants to repeat the class because her 12 year old son wants to do it [and] she wants to progress with him.”
Auslan was first recorded in Australia’s Census of Population and Housing in 2001, but for the first time since was included as a prompt in the most recent five-yearly count in 2021.
Under the question ‘Does (person) use a language other than English at home?’ the prompt question in ‘other language’ will now state “If other, for example, Auslan, please write here,’ a move Deaf Australia has been advocating for.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics data released in late June showed nearly nearly 4,500 Victorians used Auslan to communicate.
Since 2001, every Census has noted a significant increase in Auslan users; increasing from 5,306 in 2001 to 16, 242 in 2021.
Michelle, who is also now a tutor for families with Deaf children, decided to learn Auslan herself five and a half years ago and travelled from the Dandenong Ranges to Geelong for a personal development course where she got “hooked”.
Finding further courses, however, provided a challenge.
“I enrolled three times in their courses and had my money refunded,” she said.
“I then found a community course in Mitcham…and again the enrollments weren’t enough”
Then at an intermediate level, Michelle’s class was combined with beginners to make six students – which still didn’t work out and led to the class being split in half to continue.
Her focus now, as a teacher, is to ensure there is always a class for students.
“We’re really excited that we’ve been able to go into our third term and still have the interest in this area – [It’s] fantastic.”
In term three, an Auslan course for ‘Absolute Beginners’ will be running at the Sassafras Primary School on a Wednesday night from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
There will also be an intermediate course on Thursday nights at Olinda Community House from 6:30pm to 8:30pm, along with a conversation class at the same venue from 6:30pm to 8:30pm on a Tuesday.
Those interested can visit the ‘Auslan Pay it Forward’ Facebook page or contact Michelle via email michelle.payitforward@gmail.com.
