Executive Summary
- Background
- Research objective
- Research methodology
- Profile of Deaf Auslan users
- Auslan interpreters
- Auslan interpreting services
- Demand for professional Auslan interpreters
- Using professional Auslan interpreters or family members and friends as interpreters
- Alternative technologies
Background
Australian sign language - "Auslan" - is the predominant language of the Australian Deaf community. Auslan uses hand shapes and movements, and facial expression and orientation, and has its own syntax, grammar and semantics. It is not based on English.
Many Deaf Auslan users rely on interpreters in their day-to-day interactions with hearing people. However, to date there has been little information available to determine whether interpreting services facilitate adequate communication between Deaf Auslan users and hearing people. To increase the level of knowledge, the Australian Government Department of Family and Community Services commissioned ORIMA Research to undertake this study of the supply of, and demand for, Auslan interpreters across Australia.
Research objective
The objective of this project was to develop an understanding of:
- the activities for which people require and/or use Auslan interpreting services;
- the extent to which the current services meet the needs of Deaf people and the people/organisations with whom they need to communicate;
- training, accreditation and registration of Auslan interpreters;
- funding sources and costs of Auslan interpreting services across Australia; and
- the potential of innovative technology (such as video remote interpreting) to assist in the provision of Auslan interpreting services.
Research methodology
To assess the need (or demand) for, and supply of, Auslan interpreters and obtain the views of users and providers of Auslan interpreting services:
- a national survey of Deaf Auslan users was conducted;
- telephone interviews were conducted with family members of Deaf Auslan users from each State and Territory;
- interviews were conducted with Auslan interpreters and representatives from national peak bodies; and
- data were obtained from some State and Territory government agencies that purchase Auslan interpreting services.
To estimate the total cost of providing Auslan interpreters, efforts were made to obtain data relating to Auslan interpreting provision from major Auslan interpreting service providers in Australia.1
Profile of Deaf Auslan users
In the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2001 census data, 5,303 Australians identified that they use Auslan to communicate with others at home. Many people within the Deaf community estimate the Deaf Auslan using population to be much higher.
The most recent research on the size of the Deaf community, by Johnston (2003), concludes that it is approximately 6,500 individuals. Johnston's estimate is regarded as a robust measure of the population. Although the ABS 2001 census underestimates the size of the Deaf community, it would appear to provide a reasonable guide to the geographic distribution and demographic profile. The ABS 2001 census indicates that:
- 30% of signing Deaf completed year 12, compared with 41% of the general Australian population;
- the signing Deaf population is over-represented in the lower income ranges and under-represented in the higher income ranges compared to the general Australian population;
- the signing Deaf population is slightly over-represented in the unemployed and non-labour force categories. Forty two percent of the general Australian population are unemployed or not in the labour force compared to 47% of signing Deaf; and
- 47% of signing Deaf had not worked in the week preceding the census, compared with 44% of the general Australian population.
The Deaf Auslan user survey showed that most Deaf people (82%) use sign language every day to communicate.
Johnston (2003) considers medical advances, such as rubella vaccinations, cochlear implants, genetic screening and gene therapy, will result in a declining Deaf population in Australia. This decline is likely to have implications for future demand for Auslan interpreting services.
Auslan interpreters
This research identified 302 currently active Auslan interpreters across Australia. Of these active interpreters, 257 were accredited by the National Authority for Accreditation of Translators and Interpreters. The 35 interpreters interviewed for this research reported that there were very few full-time jobs for Auslan interpreters, low rates of payment, and limited training opportunities. The high risk of Occupational Overuse Syndrome was also raised as a potential limitation to the number of hours that a person could undertake work of this nature.
Auslan interpreting services
Auslan interpreters are typically booked via interpreting agencies (Auslan interpreting service providers). These agencies include the Deaf Societies in each State, Territory Auslan interpreting agencies (the Northern Territory Interpreting and Translating Service and the ACT Deafness Resource Centre), and others. Auslan interpreting service providers assist with interpreters in a range of settings such as health care, legal and financial appointments, education, employment-related matters and other life events, for example, weddings. Stakeholder feedback indicates that most active Auslan interpreters are registered with their local Deaf Society or Territory Auslan interpreting agency.
In most instances, the hearing person who requires an interpreter contacts the Auslan interpreting service provider to book and pay for an interpreter. The Auslan interpreting service provider should select an accredited interpreter whose skills and background are appropriate to the occasion of service. For example, a medical consultation requires an interpreter with a high level of interpreting skill (ideally a Level 3 interpreter), an understanding of medical terminology and often the same gender as the patient. To cover the administrative costs associated with operating the booking service, the Auslan interpreting service provider will charge a higher rate to the client than it pays to the interpreter. The rate paid by the hearing client can be as much as twice the amount paid to the Auslan interpreter, although rates and margins vary significantly across providers.
In 2002-03, the estimated total cost of providing Auslan interpreting services across Australia was at least $6.3 million2. The cost includes payments made to interpreters as well as administrative costs. Of this $6.3 million, approximately $3.0 million was the cost of Auslan interpreting services provided by Deaf Societies and Territory Auslan interpreting services.
Other Auslan interpreting service providers account for the remaining cost of $3.3 million. The majority of this Auslan interpreting was for education and public medical consultations and was mostly government funded, either directly through publicly funded organisations such as universities and public hospitals or through agencies paid by government organisations to provide Auslan interpreting services.
The national estimate of the breakdown across service areas of the total cost of Auslan interpreting is as follows:
- 49% for interpreting in educational settings;
- 10% for interpreting related to employment;
- 9% for interpreting related to public medical consultations (such as in public hospitals);
- 8% for interpreting related to private medical consultations (such as with general practitioners, in private hospitals and with allied health practitioners);
- 6% for interpreting related to legal and financial matters (such as in courts, with the police or in private financial consultations); and
- 17% for interpreting in other contexts (these contexts cover a broad range of circumstances including events such as weddings and funerals).
The proportion of cost in each service area varies widely between States and Territories.
Auslan interpreting services are funded from a combination of sources, including grants from State governments and fee-for-service charges. Table 1 shows the overall financial situation reported by State Deaf Societies and Territory Auslan interpreting services in 2002-03.
| Funding of State Deaf Societies and Territory Auslan interpreting services | |
|---|---|
Cost of provision of Deaf Society Auslan interpreting services |
$2,955,114 |
Fee-for-service - public (Commonwealth and State) |
$1,410,260 |
Fee-for-service - private sector |
$621,448 |
Direct funding of Deaf Societies by State Governments |
$379,499 |
Deficit |
$543,907 |
The $543,907 not covered by fees and government funding was paid for by the Deaf Societies through charitable fund raising or draw down of capital reserves. The operating deficit in the Northern Territory was met from the Territory government's consolidated revenue.
The mix of funding sources and operating deficits varies considerably across States and Territories. The policy of each Deaf Society with respect to the circumstances under which it provides interpreting without a direct fee-for-service has a large impact on the size of its overall operating deficit.
- For example, VicDeaf covered 94% of its expenditure through fee-for-service income. This resulted in a relatively small operating deficit of only 6%, despite the lack of direct Victorian Government funding to the organisation.
- Conversely, the Queensland Deaf Society covered only 71% of its expenditure through fee-for-service income. This resulted in an operating deficit of 26%, despite some funding support from the Queensland Government.
Nationally, the largest difference between the cost of provision and the fee-for-service recouped in 2002-03 was for interpreting in private medical settings, mostly in consultations with general practitioners and specialist doctors. The Deaf Societies and Territory Auslan interpreting agencies reported a shortfall between the total cost of providing Auslan interpreting for private medical consultations and the total charges recouped for these services of $480,000.
Direct funding from State and Territory governments (a total of $379,499 in 2002-03) reduced the shortfall across all Auslan interpreting provision, but it is not possible to attribute this funding to particular areas of service.
In contrast to interpreting at private medical consultations, Auslan interpreting for employment-related matters was almost fully funded by fee-for-service arrangements.
Demand for professional Auslan interpreters
Overall, the Deaf Auslan user survey indicated that respondents were mostly satisfied that they could get an Auslan interpreter when needed (Figure 1), although satisfaction levels dropped when respondents were asked about whether they could access interpreters quickly (Figure 2).
Figure 1: Extent to which respondents agreed they could get an interpreter when needed, by State
Note: Tasmania, ACT and NT not included due to small sample size.
Figure 2: Extent to which respondents agreed they could get an interpreter quickly when needed, by State
Note: Tasmania, ACT and NT not included due to small sample size.
Eighty seven percent of Deaf Auslan users surveyed had used a professional Auslan interpreter at least once in the last 12 months. Figure 3, below, illustrates the levels of supply and demand for Auslan interpreting across the key service areas reported in the Deaf Auslan user survey.
Figure 3: Proportion of Deaf people needing an Auslan interpreter vs. proportion provided with an interpreter across key service areas
The area in which most Deaf people (almost 70%) required professional Auslan interpreting services in the last 12 months was general practitioner and specialist consultations. However, around 35% of respondents (i.e. half of those who needed an interpreter for such consultations) reported that they had not been provided with an interpreter, and only 22% said they were always able to get an interpreter for general practitioner and specialist consultations.
In contrast, around one third of Deaf Auslan users required interpreters for public hospital visits in the last 12 months, and more than 20% were always able to get an interpreter. Fewer than 10% of Deaf Auslan users were not able to get an Auslan interpreter when needed for public hospital visits in the last 12 months.
The shortfall between demand and supply of Auslan interpreters for key service areas related to:
- shortages of qualified interpreters, particularly at short notice;
- affordability;
- awareness about the need to use interpreters and how to engage them; and
- booked interpreters failing to show up for appointments.
When they could not get a professional interpreter, Deaf Auslan users reported they used a family member or friend; cancelled or rescheduled their appointment; or proceeded with the appointment and communicated through the use of notes and/or lip-reading.
Using professional Auslan interpreters or family members and friends as interpreters
Around 70% of Deaf Auslan users said that they had used family or friends to interpret for them in the last 12 months. The main reasons for using family or friends to interpret were:
- convenience;
- lack of professional interpreters, particularly at short notice and in regional areas;
- inability to pay for a professional interpreter;
- a preference for someone they know to interpret for them;
- family members having a better understanding of their communication techniques; and
- lack of awareness of the availability of professional interpreters.
In contrast, the main reasons given by Deaf Auslan users for using professional interpreters rather than family members or friends were:
- professional interpreters provided a better interpreting service;
- family and friends were not always available or were unable to help;
- it enabled them to remain independent and not be a burden on family and friends; and
- they believed that Deaf people have a right to use professional interpreters rather than family and friends.
Deaf Auslan users cited a desire to protect their privacy as a reason both for using professional interpreters and for using family and friends to interpret.
Alternative technologies
The project briefly investigated technologies which could improve the provision of Auslan interpreting services. Video remote interpreting (also known as video relay interpreting) is one such technology which uses a video link to facilitate communication between a hearing person and a Deaf person through an Auslan interpreter in a different location. Responses to the Deaf Auslan user survey showed that many Deaf people (around 40%) have limited experience of this technology and are unsure of its benefits. However, a further 40% of Deaf people indicated they would use video remote interpreting if it were more widely available.
1. These Auslan interpreting service providers include the Deaf Societies and Territory Auslan interpreting services and private and public sector language service providers.
2. As it was impossible to obtain expenditure figures from all Auslan interpreting service providers, it is likely that the true figure is higher than $6.3 million.