Australian Sign Language (Auslan)

Auslan is the recognised community language of the Australian Deaf community, a minority community of people who share a language and identity that is based on their shared experiences of living with deafness in a hearing world. The Disability Discrimination Act of Australia provides that all deaf people have the right to an Auslan/English interpreter for communication access.

Auslan classes are provided in every state and capital city at different levels of accreditation:

• Short unaccredited courses for beginners who want an introduction to Auslan,
• Nationally Accredited Certificate - Diploma of Auslan courses provided by TAFE or registered RTOs
• Bachelor or Post-Graduate Qualifications at University

People interested in learning Auslan are advised to check the accreditation status of the course with the organisation, before enrolling in the course.

To become an Auslan/English interpreter, you must be fluent in both English and Auslan AND obtain NAATI accreditation.

Your fluency in Auslan must be at least equivalent to Certificate IV level. If your Auslan skills are not at a fluent level, various courses are available.

To find out where courses are held in your state please click here.