This video is the Auslan version of this transcription

How do I feel about the crucial information being delivered through press conferences on media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and twitter? Frustrated, angry and fed up throwing my arms up in the air again, again AND AGAIN. Hell, I have lost count. Why?

I am one of the many deaf and hard of hearing Australians, who are missing out on crucial information regarding current issues – lately it is regarding coronavirus. There is an issue with the people who handle the filming of the official media press conferences. These people are unjustified, ignorant and discriminatory in their cutting off the Auslan interpreter on screen and zooming to the speaker, leaving the interpreter completely out of screen. Did they ever consider why the interpreter is standing next to the speaker? It is quite obvious that the Auslan interpreter was brought in to assist people like myself. Did they ever think there are deaf people on the floor of the press conferences? I am 100% there are none except there are millions of us on media platforms. This is discrimination at its’ worst.

Assuming with the facts, there are 1 in 3 Australians that have a smartphone and the media platforms has better accessibility however their assumptions of the availability of captions are UNRELIABLE, inaccurate or there were no captions at all. Often the live captioning is not accurate either.

So please, for the inclusiveness of all of us, zoom out the screen and make sure the Auslan interpreter is INCLUDED so we, deaf and hard of hearing Australians are included in the press conference and following what is going on. Ensure that the producers and media operators are not excluding the Auslan interpreter, this is very unfair and makes the community very angry and frustrated. It is upsetting to see this pattern repeated time and again like during the recent bushfire crisis.

The Auslan interpreter is our HUMAN RIGHT – and they decided to exclude from us. Please be more mindful in the future and quality check all releases before they go out that the Auslan interpreter is included in ALL the screen shots. You can film the speaker but include the Auslan interpreter as well. Don’t encourage or promote this continued discriminatory behaviour.

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   Ruffian56 Reply

   5 years ago

   ReplyTo:   JClarkeACT
   Title:   your Access rights