New Auslan Bible Website Brings Scripture Alive for Deaf Community

The Bible Society Australia has launched a new Auslan Bible website, designed to give Australia’s deaf community greater access to Scripture in their heart language.

Key points:

“Having the Bible in Auslan means people in the deaf community can have full access to the Good News in their own language, not by text but on video,” said Trudy Fraser, translator with the Auslan Bible Project.

“Their faces light up when they see the Gospel in Auslan; that is priceless.”

For many deaf Australians, English is a second language learned later in life, which can create barriers when engaging with the Bible.

“Many deaf children learn it quite late,” Trudy said.

For many deaf Australians, English is a second language learned later in life, which can create barriers when engaging with the Bible.

Having the Bible translated into Auslan as a first language “opens more accessibility”.

“It helps us understand rather than having that barrier due to reading [English],” Trudy said.

The difference this makes when experiencing passages like Psalm 23, for instance, is “if you just read the word in English, you might not fully understand”.

“But in Auslan, you understand what it means, and it has a deeper impact,” Trudy said.

The new website, auslan.bible, has been carefully designed with Auslan users in mind. Amy Cruickshanks, linguistics and translation consultant, explained, “every element of this new website was carefully and thoughtfully chosen”.

The new website, auslan.bible, has been carefully designed with Auslan users in mind.

“Already we are receiving feedback about how easy the website is to use, and people in the community are spreading the word to others about it,” Amy said.

“It’s exciting to think about what God will do in individuals’ lives as they access His word through this new resource.”

The site features Auslan as the primary language throughout – from Bible passages to instructions on how to use the platform. Icons, colours, and clear layouts help make navigation simple.

“Auslan users are very visual people,” Amy said.

“Anything that’s in visual information is really helpful.”

Trudy hopes to see churches make use of this resource.

“Maybe in the future, the pastor could put it up on a screen and people can just watch [the Bible] fully translated and fully in Auslan,” Trudy said.

“Then the pastor can continue with the teaching, and everyone understands it in their own native language.”

The Bible Society would also like to see the rest of the Bible made available in Auslan.

 “[Right now] the Bible has only about 13% translated so far,” Trudy said.

“There’s still heaps more to do so we can get it to 100%.

“The deaf can then have full access anytime they want, read any chapters they want, and search anything they want.”

Visit auslan.bible for more information.

Listen to the full conversation in the player above.

Feature image: Supplied (Bible Society Australia)