[dbaust] Auslan Geelong newspaper
- From: "Trudy Ryall" <trudy.ryall@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <dbaust@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <sarujac@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Carla Anderson" <Carla.Anderson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2012 11:19:06 +1000
Shock as sign language training given the flick
Mandy Squires | May 29th, 2012
NOT HAPPY: Laura Radnay and Natasha Maddock are Auslan signers who are going to
miss out on their qualifications. They are signing the word 'Support'. This is
a phot of them. Photo taken by MIKE DUGDALE
WHEN Geelong's Natasha Maddock gave up her corporate career to become an
interpreter for the deaf, she could never have imagined it would be the State
Government that delivered the thumbs down to her dreams.
One year into a two-year, full-time Australian Sign Language (Auslan) course at
the Richmond campus of Kangan Institute, Ms Maddock, 34, said she was
devastated to learn the course would not be continued next year because of
State Government funding cuts to the TAFE sector.
Speaking from her Grovedale home with fellow Geelong student, Laura Radnay, Ms
Maddock said she gave up a promising position with a global company in June
last year, to pursue a long-held dream of learning sign language and becoming
an interpreter for the deaf.
Ms Maddock said it was not an easy decision to make as she had a partner and
mortgage to consider.
"Despite me not being a morning person, I'm catching the 7.09am train to
Melbourne from South Geelong four mornings a week and I am just loving the
course," she said. "Like everyone else in the course, I'm passionate about it."
Ms Maddock said axing the Auslan course next year would leave her six-months
short of completing the Kangan Institute diploma, and therefore unable to start
RMIT's one-year Auslan interpreter course.
"Ted, you are gorn buddy. Who the hell would want to vote for your government
now?"
She would also be almost $3000 out-of-pocket for course fees.
Ms Maddock said when her class was told the course would be cut, students
started crying.
"When the news came through, you could hear a pin drop in the room, people were
just absolutely devastated," she said.
"I, personally, didn't know whether to cry or vomit. There were tears. Not just
from the students; the head of the department actually broke down as he was
delivering the news. "There was a massive amount of shock because we didn't
think it could actually happen. While we had heard about the State Government
cuts to the TAFE budget, we thought that given this course was teaching towards
a vital service, surely commonsense would prevail and this would be a course
which wasn't touched."
Ms Maddock said there was already a significant shortage of Auslan interpreters
in Victoria, particularly in regional areas.
She said it was not uncommon for hearing-impaired people to have to wait three
weeks or more for an interpreter to become available for court cases or
important business meetings.
The situation will only become worse in regions like Geelong after the Kangan
Auslan course is cut.
mandy.squires@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From Geelong advertiser May 29th, 2012
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