experience designer + (they / them)
Melbourne Polytechnic
Student advocate - putting design theory into practice
Credits
Video - Finley Jackson
References & Auslan interpreters available upon request
Melbourne Polytechnic is the only TAFE in Victoria that certifies students who go on to become interpreters. It was essential that their campus and organisational structure was d/Deaf aware, accessible and inclusive.
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This is how I organised a team of d/Deaf, HoH and hearing staff, students, and school management to completely change this space in one semester.
This video is for Auslan users. For English, please read below.
At the start of 2020, I enrolled in Auslan Cert III & IV at Melbourne Polytechnic. That year, Auslan took the main stage on official news broadcasts about the pandemic.
The need for more Auslan interpreters was critical, yet the process of becoming one was hindered by the way the program at the TAFE was designed and offered.
When I started the course we were 32 students to a teacher. The management were not d/Deaf aware and communication often broke down as a result.
As a language teacher, I recognised the difficulties faced by the teachers, trying their best to meet all the needs of their students with very limited resources. Students needed more one on one time with teachers. We approached the hearing course coordinators but found that this was a dead end.
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In May 2020, I wrote a letter to Melbourne Polytechnic's board of executives detailing the concerns of my student cohort. Together with other student representatives we met with members of the board and the CEO to open a dialogue.
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The following semester two more classes were opened, on each campus. Two new d/Deaf and HoH positions were employed at each campus. We had visual fire alarms installed in all buildings across both campuses.
The unexpected result of our meetings with management was that the entire board of executives took on basic Auslan training and d/Deaf awareness training after our discussions.
This was a huge structural change that was brought about through curiosity, understanding, patience, cooperation - with the needs of real people; students, teachers and the d/Deaf community. They were all front & centre throughout the entire process.
