A sign for good: the ANU community boosting sign language users

For Charlotte Young, learning sign language is empowering.  

As the President and co-founder of the Auslan Club at The Australian National University (ANU), Young has helped to create a space dedicated to sharing Deaf language and culture. 

As a person with hearing loss, but with no previous experience with Auslan (also known as Australian Sign Language), Young used to feel a level of disconnection from the Deaf community.  

“To me, there was always this feeling that I’ve never been able to properly communicate with my community in their language,” Young says. 

“Even if I don’t use sign language day-to-day with another deaf person, I can now breathe a sigh of relief as I’m actively working to try and be part of the community.”

Connecting, learning and celebrating

Established by Young, in conjunction with academic Dr Gemma King and other likeminded students, the ANU Auslan club provides free sign language lessons. 

Each member of the club has their own reasons for learning Auslan — including those who have siblings with hearing loss, as well as someone with a desire to be a better swim coach for deaf students.  

@theauslancompany

Learn the Auslan alphabet  #auslan #alphabet #learn #sign #deaf #tiktok #theauslancompany #australia #foryou #fypシ #happy

♬ original sound – The Auslan Company

Young says it’s always a joy to spot people signing to friends after class or as they pass each other in hallways. 

“University is the first place where you’re out of the sphere of constant medical appointments with your parents, and you start to take hold of your own identity,” she says.  

“Seeing how a relationship can be built integrating that new sense of having a Deaf identity — celebrating it rather than hiding it — is really lovely.” 

Making an impact

Young, who was a nominee for Victoria’s Young Australian of the Year for her work as a disability advocate, says more people should learn Auslan. 

Knowledge of the language can enable new learners to connect with people for whom Auslan is their first language.  

“Deaf people do really want to share what it means to be deaf and enjoying Auslan,” she says.  

The club is sensitive to the fact that sharing culture requires genuine engagement with Deaf communities, and have set up a deaf advisory board and employed a deaf Auslan teacher. 

Their efforts have already increased the number of signers in the ACT by five per cent, and the club was awarded a Group Achievement Award by the ACT Government late last year.  

“We can have all these big diversity and inclusion campaigns within institutions like the Australian Public Service, and they’re important, but realising that a small group of passionate people who just wanted to share Auslan could make such a big, statistical change is awesome,” Young says. 

“It just shows that you should go to the people who are disabled, rather than trying to get external consultants in, because often people at the grassroots level know what’s best for them.” 

A sign for good

For Young, her experiences in the club have reinforced her ambitions to continue her disability advocacy work after graduation. 

She hopes more ANU students will take up Auslan and experience the joy that comes from connecting through sign, regardless of hearing ability. 

“When people are having fun with and wanting to learn about your language and culture, it begins to feel like a lovely place to live,” she says. 

“If you want to learn sign language, I’d say go for it! It’s so much fun.”