Auslan90 to end on 30 June as grant expires, raising fears Deaf viewers will miss vital news
Australia’s only daily news service delivered in Australian Sign Language is set to go off air on 30 June, as its federal government grant expires, prompting concern among Deaf viewers that they will miss out on essential news. Auslan90, produced by the non-profit Deaf Connect, packages the day’s top stories and is presented purely in Auslan by Deaf journalists.
Since launching in 2024, the social media-based videos have reached more than 300,000 Australians and the team has produced more than 400 bulletins, covering topics from international wars and elections to cyclones and fuel shortages. The program will receive funding through a federal government grant until 30 June, with the last show scheduled to be filmed that day.
Brett Casey, chief executive of Deaf Connect, said the program delivers news in the Deaf community’s first language. Speaking in Auslan via an interpreter, he noted that many Deaf people use English as a second language and have varying levels of fluency. “If you think of a hearing person…
they can wake up in the morning, turn on the radio, turn on the TV and go about their daily chores while absorbing the news,” he said. “But for Deaf people, the only access is one time a day that they can access news in their first language, which is Auslan.” Without the service, he said, access to news is “very limited”.
Casey added that Auslan90 helps explain complex issues, citing coverage that described the connection between the Iran war and rising fuel prices in Australia. “Those issues do have a significant impact on a person’s life and ability to make an informed decision,” he said.
Among regular viewers is 82-year-old Marcia Girke-Boylen, who was born deaf and says she does not miss an episode. She and others worry they will miss out on news about world events without the service. Unless new funding is secured, Auslan90 will cease production after 30 June, leaving a gap for viewers who rely on a daily Auslan news bulletin.