We have built a society that is disabling and isolating

While the high-profile presence of Auslan interpreters alongside politicians and health officials at COVID-19 updates is welcome, we should not conclude that this alone meets the needs of most of the 3.6 million Australians with hearing conditions, writes Dr Caitlin Barr in the article below.

Barr is CEO at Soundfair, a national non-profit committed to hearing equality, and a leading researcher in the social and emotional impacts of hearing loss.

She writes that closed captioning should also be mandatory — and done properly — on all TV broadcasting, especially all emergency announcements, but should also extend across cinemas, stage performances and live performances, to online meetings and to address big unmet need for live-caption supported video conferencing for mental health support.

Read the article on Croakey.