Life Ed’s Healthy Harold program features 10-year-old Auslan presenter

Meet 10-year-old Charlie, who is is the first ever child Auslan presenter to feature in an Australian education program. She has been filming alongside iconic mascot, Healthy Harold to translate key education experiences in Auslan to make the not-for-profit’s health prevention program more accessible to Deaf children, like herself.

1. Charlie, how does it feel to be the first-ever child Auslan presenter in an Australian education program?

Being the first ever child Auslan presenter in an Australian education program feels like a dream come true. I got to learn more about Auslan and I had an experience that some kids will never believe that they can get.

2. Can you tell us about your journey with Auslan? When did you start learning and using it?

I was born profoundly deaf and for the first year of my life I couldn’t hear anything but learning Auslan was life changing. I love it so much because it gives me the ability to communicate with other deaf people and it also allows me to understand what someone is saying better. I can also lip read but it mainly works for me and my mother. She speaks so clearly and she does it just for me.

3. What was it like filming with Healthy Harold? Did you enjoy being on set?

Filming for Healthy Harold was so much fun! Filming every single scene was a big process that I was a big part of. First we would have to listen to the sentence and then interpret it into Auslan because Auslan is different to English, after that we would do a little practice of the line to rehearse it then finally we would film it. Sometimes we would have to do a few takes but that was alright. Being on set felt like a whole new world had just fallen right into my palms.

4. How did you prepare for your role as an Auslan presenter for Life Ed?

Well to prepare myself for the event, they would email me some short clips with the sentences inside of them. I would practice thoughts sentences day and night so I would have an idea of what to do.

5. Why do you think it’s important for Deaf children to have access to programs like Life Ed in Auslan?

The most exciting part of the project is the fact that I know I have impacted so many young children’s lives. That makes me truly understand that you don’t need superpowers or costumes to be a hero… that’s the real reason why we should do good things not for a big reward, for the change you must make in the world.

6. What has been the most exciting part of this project for you?

The most exciting part of this project to me was meeting Healthy Harold for the first time. At my school we were supposed to have the people ( and giraffe ) come but COVID-19 struck and it didn’t happen. Being in the studio was so magical because I was in the place that taught fellow kids to make correct decisions. Amazing. Then I met a giant giraffe which made it all real for me.

7. Have you received any messages or feedback from other kids about your role in the program?

I have gotten a lot of compliments on facebook and instagram which made me so happy. My BFFs gave me a lot of compliments & support, a big shout out to them. They are indescribably brilliant.

8. Were there any challenges you faced while working on this project? How did you overcome them?

There was a huge challenge throughout the process.  The audio in the video was going too fast and I couldn’t sign fast enough to catch up to it. So we decided that we would slow down the video and it worked

9. Do you see yourself continuing to be an advocate for Auslan and Deaf education in the future?

Most definitely. I want everyone to have an opportunity to learn Auslan.

10. What message do you have for people about the importance of learning and understanding Auslan?

Auslan is more than just a language, it’s a way of life. Learning Auslan can help so many people’s lives, for example, say you worked at Woollies as a cashier and a deaf ( or hard of hearing ) person walked up to you and started to sign and you had no clue what they were doing or how you could understand. In situations like these you want to have that skill in your pocket so you can pull it out anytime. Also you might want to learn this language just to talk to a fellow human and have a good laugh.

– Compiled by Nidhi Kumari