University Auslan club co-founder recognised on national stage

ABC NEWS (Australia)

In the space of just one year, the number of Auslan speakers in the ACT grew by more than five percent. That is all down to the work of a new social club at the Australian National University and now one its co-founders is being celebrated on the national stage.

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00:00Charlotte Young grew up with hearing loss but now it's helping her and others gain new skills.

00:10Hi, my name is Charlotte.

00:12The 22-year-old helped establish an Auslan club at the Australian National University

00:17which not only teaches the language but also deaf awareness training.

00:22Look at the pathways that a traditional leader would get

00:25and look at where there are points that you can engage with disabled people.

00:30Within just one year, the club has boosted the number of ACT Auslan speakers by 250 people, around 5%.

00:38Charlotte's drive for inclusivity has been celebrated with the top prize at the Asian Australian Leadership Awards.

00:45I think I represent a generation of young people who recognise, you know,

00:50the racial history of policies like the White Australia Policy but have grown up in a multicultural Australia

00:55and so we've been given acceptance and agency to pursue whatever we want.

00:59Even so, a survey by Melbourne University think tank AsiaLink

01:03has found 93% of Asian Australians believe their heritage has been a barrier to success.

01:09And while 1 in 5 Australians, or 20%, have Asian cultural heritage,

01:14only 3% hold senior management positions,

01:17a situation experts have labelled the bamboo ceiling.

01:21I think we need to think a bit more deeper about how do we better equip the level underneath

01:27to be better prepared for the roles that are to come.

01:31Otherwise we will continue to be in this vicious cycle of only looking at experienced options who unfortunately aren't as diverse.

01:41It is such a multifaceted and talented group of people who have been historically marginalised and not recognised.

01:48But now the next generation is ready to bloom.

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