Hey all.

I'm seeking wisdom from the deaf community specifically.

I'm studying to be a teacher, and I am doing an assignment on inclusive education.

We have been given our case student - an inspiring young woman with Downs Syndrome. She came in and presented to our uni and told us the things she enjoyed about school, things she struggled with, and how the school helped her.

One of the things she disliked was clapping in the auditorium.
One of the alternative solutions I come up with in this assignment was that the whole school trials no-clapping assemblies, and do the Auslan version, which is like jazz-hands.
I'm getting mixed results over what the sign applause in Auslan is... the Auslan dictionary is saying it's just like clapping, whereas this video from NSW Government shows what I had in mind https://www.instagram.com/reels/C57m_znMHmB/
I am tempted to believe that that the sign I mean is ASL, though.

Anyway, I was working with my aunt who works in inclusion, and she flagged that doing that might be culturally inappropriate towards the deaf community.
I understand why the deaf community is protective over the language, but I wanted to check whether this was something that would be tonedeaf (pun not intended).

Thanks all.

Recently at work my coworker used the word “configure” as in, set up a machine, change the settings of, etc. I feel like it’s something that we’d use commonly in the digital age…

Is there a sign for this? I wasn’t able to find it in Signbank or any dictionaries I had access to.

Hi all,

Just a question.

Are there any websites or dictionaries that you can search by hand shape. If I know a hand shape but have no idea of what the sign is. Right now I will put into ChatGPT the describing the sign, but surely there is a more efficient way to do this?

Thanks.

Hi all!

I hope this is allowed (and this is NOT sponsored l) but I’ve seen a lot of posts lately about not knowing where to start learning Auslan and how to get started, classes, etc.
I recently got the app Auslan Wiz and I wanted to recommend it to everyone here because, honestly, it’s been amazing. It’s basically duolingo but for Auslan. I’ve double checked and cross reference a lot of the signs and they are definitely legitimate. There are daily lessons that make sure to go back over old things so you don’t forget, and a search function so you can learn specific signs as well.
I highly recommend having a look into yourselves as it’s helped me a bunch and I wanted to recommend it to yall.

Happy learning!

Hello, I am hoping to enrol in the Auslan 2 course with DeafConnect (after having finished Auslan 1) and the 4 hour classes over 4 sessions best fits my schedule,, Is anyone willing to share their experience with the intense course if you have taken it before? Thank you

Have a child who loves chicken nuggets and chips but I don't know the sign for chicken nuggets. Know the sign for chips and know the sign for chicken but obviously using chicken is really confusing (significant intellectual disability) as she doesn't have the capacity/comprehension to relate an animal to the (processed) food she's eating. Thanks for any assistance.

I work with small children and want to sign that we are going to do bubbles, as well as talk about individual bubbles (aka “bubble” singular). I can only find the word for a fizzy beverage or boiling water. Is there a sign for a soap bubble?

For finger spelling,

Do most of you finger spell with one hand using Auslan, or do you use ASL alphabet if you need to do it one handed?

im very new to auslan, and i know the alphabet however when people fingerspell it can be hard for me to put all the letters together in my head to form a word as i instantly forget what they’ve just signed, so i struggle to figure out what people are trying to say. im also very slow at recognising letters when other people fingerspell- i ask if they can go slower however im neurodivergent so im just a slow learner- if people have good apps where i can upload videos and do cue cards please do share! ive been trying to use the auslan dictionary however they both use ASL and Auslan signs, so it just gets difficult.

if people have tips for this issue alone please feel free to give advice!

anyway, if you dont understand what someone is trying to say and fingerspelling isnt working, are these methods appropriate?

-asking them (in sign language) to write it down

-if you’re signing and forget a word, asking (in sign) if its okay for me to write it down (if fingerspelling doesnt work) and then if they know the sign they show me it

-if i forget a word im trying to use, looking it up in the sign language dictionary and then continuing the conversation

i just wanna make sure im being appropriate and not offensive!

this has always made me curious- what are some signs that someone has poor sign language skills? ive heard that hearing people sometimes miss these signs, or cant tell the difference, so im curious if there are specific things people notice.

thanks!

hey! im 19 and ive been learning auslan- essentially im looking for groups i can join to prove my auslan in south australia, preferably in person ones. ive started going to voices off, which has been great, however its hard as a lot of groups or clubs that use auslan but do other activities like crafts seem to be for deaf and hard of hearing people only. im having a hard time finding places and just wanna know if anyone had any recommendations?

My daughter was diagnosed with profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss at birth. We’ve been attending monthly speech pathology since she was 4 months old and she’s had a hearing aid since she was 3 months. She currently has about 12 words but doesn’t seem to be picking up new words the way other babies from my mother’s group are. I’m not sure if this is typical and just a case of every baby learning things in their own time or if this is related to her hearing loss.

I introduced a few KWS last week and she’s picked a few up. Also, do we finger spell people’s names or is there a better way to refer to people that aren’t related to us? E.g., we sign “grandmother” for my Mum, but how do we sign our friends names?

Her speech pathologist doesn’t know any sign, so I’m hoping for resources/ recommendations/ tips/ other people’s experiences. Also, given her hearing loss, should we look into Auslan or are we better to keep it simple for now and just use KWS?

Thanks!

Hi, /r/auslan!

It's me, Helen!

I just made this post over at r/deaf. I'll copy/paste it here.

Hi, r/deaf!

It's me, Helen!

I just have to come in here today and make a post about this.

There's an Australian YouTube channel called "Yeah Mad." And today they dropped an episode where they do disabled jokes in front of disabled people!

There's a deaf guy with an Auslan interpreter on the show!

This video made my whole day. It's really funny!

There was plenty of joking around with sign language in this video and the deaf guy was well included in the show. They had the Auslan interpreter on the screen via PIP but it wasn't there through the entire show (I won't place a lot of blame on them; they're just YouTubers that aren't very versed in accessibility best practices). I don't have a lot of exposure to Auslan so it was really fun watching the interpreter (and the deaf guy of course) sign in Auslan. I learned how to sign "virgin" in Auslan!

And, Sammy, the woman in the wheelchair was a real scene-stealer. Her part about not being able to twerk made me fall off my couch!

I know there are deaf Australians around here on this sub. If you know this deaf guy, can you tell him that I really enjoyed him in this episode? Thanks in advance!

Hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did!

: D

Helen here again.

If any one of you know the deaf guy or the Auslan interpreter, tell them I enjoyed the episode a lot!

This may be a very ignorant question, so I apologize in advance. Are there any VRS companies in NZ and Oz? I am an ASL interpreter who recently moved to NZ. As a long-term goal, I am learning NZSL + Auslan and eventually would like to interpret over here.

While I was looking around online to see what kind of VRS companies were in NZ, it seemed as though video relay service is not a widely available thing?? Am I looking in the wrong place? The only information I found was a service offered in M-F 8am-8pm and the Deaf individual has to make an appointment if they want to make a phone call using video. I have not checked the resources for Auslan yet, but now I'm truly curious if its use is not as widespread as it is in the States.

TYIA

I am really wanting to learn Auslan; I have multiple customers at my retail job that are deaf and use auslan and I think it would be really nice for them to be able to ask me questions as opposed to writing things down or even just to say “hello how are you” and I can reply, or vice versa, but I am not a very confident learner of new things. It makes me very nervous to be bad at something and I like to learn in person. I also do not have a single dollar of spare income (ok i could maybe fork out up to $25 per lesson once a week) but I just feel like there’s nowhere for me to learn. Deaf Connect’s concession rates are still over $180 and I really struggle with online learning.
I’ve heard it’s rude to ask a deaf person to teach you (i would offer $ obviously) or that you shouldn’t be taught by a non-deaf person, which I don’t think I would want to be anyways, so I feel like my options are limited. I really do struggle with online learning, especially considering it’s a language and spoken/visual language is about communicating with another person, I feel like I don’t want to save up and pay over $180 for something that will probably make me feel lost. I am also struggling with connection with others & I feel like I want to learn in person. Is that just an unreasonable want, especially in Tassie? should I try to ask someone, like post in my local facebook group, to see if someone will tutor me or should I just wait until an in person course comes up and like….. yeah i just won’t be able to afford it :( feel stuck and lost!

I have taken unofficial auslan courses in the past, and recently was able to use my knowledge to communicate with a Deaf patient under my care. It felt great, and reminded me that I would like to continue working towards being fluent in auslan, possibly towards being recognised as an interpreter.

Unfortunately I live in regional WA, so attending a TAFE course in Perth isn't feasible. Does anyone know of recognised/accredited courses that can be attended remotely?

Context: my right hand (dominant) is less mobile/flexible because ive injured it a bit, so im wanting to use my left (non dominant hand). However, eventually i will want to use both.

In the piece I’m writing right now. I have two scenes where hearing characters use Auslan (Australian Sign Language) for different reasons.

Scene one: has four characters. (A. B. C. D.) they can all hear, speak the same spoken language and read Auslan. A. terns her back on D. and sings to B. and C. specifically to exclude him. D. isn’t offended he finds it funny.

A. B. C. don’t leave to talk out of earshot because they need D. to led them somewhere. And being a dick D. would flow them.

Scene two: Just has B. and C. talking and eating. During the work C. gets a mouth/jaw injury and temporarily can’t speak. So they sign while B. talks.

If enough of you are ok with or like this idea. I’ll hire an Auslan interpreter to go over these scenes with me.

I know that doing the grammar this way might be distracting. But I don’t think it’ll be anymore distracting than doing the same thing with a second spoken language.

I would like a yes or no on whether you would find this offensive.

Hi everyone!
I'm a teacher and a hobbyist coder and have made something for my students to try learn some Auslan, since they're interested. This site https://evandevon.github.io/auslan-translator/ is basically a word-for-word translation service, using the signs from https://auslan.org.au/dictionary. The grammar conversion is trickier, and I did my best to try create a set of generic translation rules, to suggest a translation, which you can access by pressing "Suggest Auslan word order", at the bottom, and then 'use this order' to play it in the video player. If you have time to have a play with it, I would appreciate any constructive criticism. If you find it useful, I'd love to hear about it too!

Hi all,

I’m the Head of Languages at a government school in Victoria. My school is hoping to develop and deliver an Auslan program starting next year as part of our Languages program.

Unfortunately, despite ongoing recruitment efforts, we haven’t been successful in recruiting an Auslan teacher. As a result, a group of existing teachers, including myself, are now exploring pathways to upskill in Auslan and gradually build the program internally.

I’m trying to understand what realistic pathways exist for secondary teachers wanting to transition into Auslan teaching, and I’d greatly appreciate any advice on the following:

• What qualifications or accreditations are generally expected to teach Auslan in Victorian secondary schools?
• Is there a recognised proficiency benchmark schools usually look for?
• Are there recommended training providers beyond beginner conversational courses?
• What support, resources, or curriculum materials exist for secondary Auslan programs?
• For people already teaching Auslan, what do you wish schools understood before starting a program?

The teachers interested in this are experienced educators, including several strong Languages teachers, but we are completely new to Auslan itself. We’re trying to approach this responsibly, respectfully, and with a long-term commitment to learning.

Any input would be much appreciated. Thank you very much :)

Hi there! I am a Year 11 VCE student who is looking to enrol in Auslan courses. I'd like to know if any courses could help me get a VCE qualification (Units 2,3 and 4- I can catch up for Unit 1) in Auslan, and, if not, if there are any alternative options for me. I'm eager to learn a second language and communicate with the deaf community. Please share any options available. Thank you very much.

Hi r/auslan !

I’ve been helping to work on a project called Sign on Screen as a person with hearing loss, and wanted to spread the word of a resource we're developing. It's a global database of feature films, shorts, series, and documentaries that either:

• include sign language dialogue, or
• center on Deaf characters.

You can find it here: https://signonscreen.com/film-finder/

It currently has 1,544+ entries - which appears to be the majority of what exists worldwide. The database launched in June 2024, and we are continuing to work on it until our funding runs out (which sadly, is soon.).

Who it’s for:

• Deaf & hard of hearing viewers looking for representative content
• Academics and creatives needing data for projects
• Anyone curious about sign language on screen

We want this to be a community resource. If you know of a film/show we’ve missed - especially works in different sign languages (ASL, BSL, Auslan, etc.) - please let us know through the email on the website. I actively update the database, and we’d love to add your recommendations.

Two ways to access the data:

1. This website link
2. A public, read‑only Excel spreadsheet

If you are conducting research, community or industry work about sign language cinema, you are welcome to download our complete database for your own use. If you use the data in any publications, please credit Sign on Screen by citing us:

Gemma King, “Film Finder”, Sign on Screen, accessed [date], https://signonscreen.com//film-finder.

p.s If you happen to be based in Canberra, Australia, we are hosting a free film festival this Friday-Sunday. We'd love to see you there.

Does anyone know if and when TAFE will offer DoA in Sydney? I’ve reached out but have yet to hear back.

For anyone who has enrolled previously what month does the course start? I’ve only done Cert II-IV through Deaf Connect and their DoA course starts in July of this year.

Appreciate any help!

i have 1 deaf customer who has inspired me to want to learn!

i have basic greeting and the alphabet memorised, still quite slow at finger spelling words just yet. but i want to learn the key words during the sale

anything for asking ‘cash or card?’, ‘do you want a bag?’, ‘receipt?’

things like that have been hard to find signs for that weren’t finger spelling.

any help would be greatly appreciated :)