National Gallery of Victoria caters for Deaf and hearing impaired through innovation.

7 June 2012

 

The National Gallery of Victoria became the first cultural institution in Australia to provide a truly inclusive experience for Deaf and hearing impaired at its international exhibition, Napoleon Revolution to Empire.

Thanks to innovative technology called “Smart Auslan,” the NGV will for the first time offer an accessible audio tour which incorporates captions and Australian sign language, making the gallery accessible to a large and growing portion of the population.

The app provides a unique service in Australia by making the common audio guide accessible for people who would otherwise be excluded to this cultural and educational experience that most people in the hearing community take for granted.

The application will enable more people to access the tour’s compelling insights either in Auslan, or by simply reading the captions accompanying the audio tour.

Australian Communication Exchange (ACE) -  a not for profit which specialises in communication technology for people who are Deaf, hearing and speech impaired, are the innovators behind the development of Smart Auslan.

Zoe Boyd, Director of Strategy and Planning, at ACE said that the National Gallery of Victoria’s enthusiasm to offer important access solutions like Smart Auslan is a major achievement for the Australian people.

“This is very exciting, not only because we’re talking about Australia’s largest public gallery, but also because it means we are forging the way in setting new standards of accessibility in Australia.”

Currently one in six Australians are affected by hearing loss, with this number set to increase to one in four by 2050.

Smart Auslan benefits not only the Deaf and hard of hearing community, people who have English as a second language (ESL), either living in Australia, or tourists who may find it useful to read the captions whilst listening to the audio in English.

The value of using captioning for audio or audio visual material is also well known for improving children’s literacy.

About Australian Communication Exchange (ACE)

Australian Communication Exchange (ACE) is a national not-for-profit community organization, established to facilitate equity of access to the telecommunications network for people who are Deaf, or have a hearing or speech impairment.

For more information contact: Hannah Bishop 0452 062 997 or hannah.bishop@aceinfo.net.au