PASSIONATE advocates for the deaf community have met with success after their push for sign language classes was recognised by TAFE New England.
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Thanks to a flurry of interest on social media, a course in Auslan (Australian sign language) will start in Tamworth next month.
It is a win for Tamworth woman Rennay Baldwin, who wants to communicate more fluently with her deaf friends and has been pushing for the course for the past six months.
She said at least 25 people had expressed interest and there was a need for the service.
“I’ve seen how restricted and frustrating it can be when there is that lack of communication and sometimes no way to express yourself to people as they can’t understand what you’re saying,” Miss Baldwin said.
Miss Baldwin works in the disability sector and said she was able to teach a few simple signs to people who do not speak.
The small steps in communication helped them express themselves and they were not left frustrated or misunderstood.
She hoped if more learned Auslan, there would be better opportunities for the wider community.
For mother Kim Stubbs, whose one-year-old daughter is deaf and has a cochlear implant, it would be crucial to help their daughter communicate.
“I want to learn in case something happens to my daughter’s implants,” Mrs Stubbs said.
“Obviously we focus on listening and spoken language with her, but if something fails it would be essential to be able to have basic sign skills to communicate with her.”
TAFE New England communications co-ordinator Trina Constable said they had identified a need in the community and responded by offering the course.
The basic introductory course will begin with finger spelling and greetings signing, and depending on demand, more advanced courses could be offered in future.
“The capacity for it is huge ... and it’s all come about through the community expressing their interest through social media,” Ms Constable said.
She said many in the health sector were interested in learning signs and it would open more doors for the deaf community.
TAFE New England in Tamworth will host the seven-week Auslan course from July 21 to September 1, taught by Julia Scarfe.
The course – Basic Auslan I – will be held on Tuesdays from 6pm to 8pm.
For further information on the course, contact Nicky Turner at TAFE New England on 6768 2204.