"As the peak body representing consumers in the telecommunications, broadband and broadcast industries, ACCAN takes pride in ensuring that we are accessible to all consumers. One of the ways we do this is to provide translations into Auslan, such as our media releases about TV captioning and the need to fix access to the 000 emergency number.

Our biggest Auslan project so far was to inform Deaf consumers about the coming National Broadband Network. This project was made significantly easier, smoother and more culturally appropriate with the professional input of the team at the Deaf Society’s Translation Service.

ACCAN recommends the Deaf Society’s Translation Service to any organisation, including not-for-profits, which seek to be more accessible to the Deaf community, which traditionally has faced linguistic barriers to correct and up-to-date information.”

"In the lead up to the NSW State Election 2011, we had four of our community information brochures about enrolment, elections and voting translated and produced as AUSLAN clips with voice over and captioning. These appear both on our website and on YouTube.

We had not previously had any election information translated into AUSLAN, assuming that it would be a large, expensive and time-consuming task that would benefit only a minority of electors. However as soon as we found out that the Deaf Society of NSW could organise everything - translation of the information, casting, filming, editing ,voice over and captioning - all for an extremely affordable price and within a very tight timeframe, we didn’t hesitate.

Not only have the AUSLAN clips provided vital information to the deaf community about elections, but with voice over added, they become a very useful resource for many other members of the community – particularly those with low literacy levels.

Despite the pressure that a very short time-frame and technical subject matter brought to the project, the project was handled with absolute professionalism.

We are very pleased with the clips and look forward to working with the Deaf Society of NSW for future elections."

The Hon. John Hatzistergos
Attorney General, Minister for Industrial Relations
Parliament of New South Wales

"The Office of Industrial Relations is privileged to be the very first client of the Deaf Society of New South Wales’ new translation service.

Earlier this year, the Office began working with the Society’s translation service to develop a resource that would help the state’s signing deaf community to better understand their workplace rights and entitlements.

In June this year I took great pleasure in officially launching the resulting Auslan Info Bytes resource – a series of short videos featuring a deaf person delivering important workplace information in Australian Sign Language.

The OIR staff members involved with this initiative reported to me that throughout the process of developing the resource, their colleagues at the translation service were friendly, helpful and a pleasure to work with, whilst providing a high level of technical expertise and assistance.

In addition to delivering the Office with an effective and professional resource, the translation service has provided a deeper understanding of the communication needs of the signing deaf community and invaluable advice regarding the most effective way to meet these needs.

I extend my sincere thanks to everyone at the Deaf Society of NSW translation service for their excellent collaborative work with the Office of Industrial Relations.

I commend the translation service and encourage other agencies to utilise the expertise offered by this service to develop their own resources in Auslan, so people from the signing deaf community in this state can more easily access the information and assistance they need."

"Adding Auslan to three of our videos on the Stay Smart Online website has greatly enhanced the accessibility of our cyber security information. Not only does it broaden our cyber security messages to those with hearing or English difficulty, but the videos themselves are more interesting with Auslan!.

As video is consumed more and more online, adding Auslan to government web videos is likely to become the norm, and will ensure that all Australian internet users will be able engage with Web 2.0 technologies and receive important government messages.

Furthermore, working with the Deaf Society Translation Service was very easy and excellent value for money. They delivered on our requirements within a very short time frame and the work is first rate."