About the review
The Australian Government committed $0.6 million in 2022–23 to conduct a review of Auslan interpreting services in primary care settings (the Auslan report). Australian Healthcare Associates did the review between January and December 2023.
Why is it important
The Deaf community has highlighted “systemic failures” in how communication supports are provided, including Auslan interpreters, in many healthcare settings. The Auslan report found that while Auslan users have the right to an interpreter, the use of Auslan interpreters in practice is suboptimal. This is because of complex factors in 3 domains.
In the primary care setting, challenges include:
- lack of Deaf awareness
- inconsistent procedures in place to identify and meet patient communication needs
- lack of capability in working with Auslan interpreters.
In the interpreting industry, challenges include:
- insufficient workforce supply to meet demand from both pipeline and retention issues
- the complexity of interpreting in a healthcare setting.
In the policy and system landscape, challenges include:
- complex funding arrangements resulting in inequities in access
- unique barriers Auslan users face in understanding their rights and healthcare needs when information is often not provided in Auslan.
The report makes 12 recommendations to improve in each of these domains, including recommendations for primary health care providers. The report also includes resources for primary care providers to improve their Deaf awareness and ability to work with Auslan interpreters:
Who we worked with
The review was done by Australian HealthCare Associates, who engaged with:
- Members of the Deaf community, Deaf sector peak bodies, primary care professionals, primary care peak bodies, Auslan interpreters, and interpreting service providers
- National Disability Insurance Agency
- Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
- National Disability Insurance Agency
- Department of Social Services
- Department of Home Affairs.
Learn more
A summary of the Auslan report is available in both Easy Read and Auslan. The Auslan video is available on our YouTube channel.
- Review of Auslan Interpreting Services in Primary Care Settings (the Auslan report)
- Easy Read summary
- Summary of the Auslan report (Auslan).
Contact
