What is "auslan"

n. The sign language of the Australian deaf community.

Auslan is the sign language of the Australian Deaf community. The term Auslan is an acronym of "Australian Sign Language", coined by Trevor Johnston in the early 1980s, although the language itself is much older. Auslan is related to British Sign Language (BSL) and New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL); the three have descended from the same parent language, and together comprise the BANZSL language family. Auslan has also been influenced by Irish Sign Language (ISL) and more recently has borrowed signs from American Sign Language (ASL).

As with other sign languages, Auslan's grammar and vocabulary is quite distinct from English. Its development cannot be attributed to any individual; rather, it is a natural language that developed organically over time.

The number of people for whom Auslan is their primary or preferred language is very difficult to determine. According to the 2001, 2006 and 2011 Censuses published by Australian Bureau of Statistics, the population of Auslan users in Australia have increased by 54.57% thus debunking the speculation that Auslan is an endangered language. As of 2011, the Census population of Auslan users in Australia is 9723 - an increase of 4417 new users from the 2001 Census. Based on this statistical trajectory, it is expected that the number of people for whom Auslan is their primary or preferred language could exceed 12000 in the 2016 Census. Although the number is increasing, approximately 5% of all Auslan users acquiring the language from their parents with the rest learning the language from other peers such as friends or colleagues later in life.

On 25 January 2015, the Young Australian of the Year was announced, Drisana Levitzke-Gray. She is a strong proponent of Auslan and, in her acceptance speech, called on the Government of Australia and Australians, to learn and use Auslan as a natural language, as a human right for Australians.