Virtual reality program will aid Auslan learning

One in six Australians are affected by hearing loss and approximately 30,000 deaf Auslan users rely on Australian Sign Language as their language of communication.

ACARA officially published the first curriculum in Auslan in early December last year and will also give hearing students the opportunity to learn Auslan, allowing them to communicate with their deaf peers.

Dr Breda Carthy, from the Royal Institute of Deaf and Blind Children Renwick Centre was involved in writing the curriculum. In an ABC interview she said: "Certainly for the Australian deaf community, it's significant, it's a huge step for equality, it's a wonderful feeling that our language is now included in the school curriculum."

SignVR is an interactive Virtual Reality education platform for learning Auslan through a fun and embodied learning experience. The educational game-play experience allows students to learn Auslan through immersive first-person embodiment teaching methods unique to VR.

Jessie Hughes, developer of Sign VR, has been named as a runner up in the Nestle Headstart campaign for her innovation.