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Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

Disabilities

National Auslan Interpreter Booking Service

The National Auslan Interpreter Booking Service provides accredited Auslan (Australian Sign Language) interpreters to deaf Auslan users free of charge when they attend private medical consultations.


Who provides the booking service?

A competitive tender process in 2004 selected Wesley Mission Brisbane to establish and provide the National Auslan Booking and Payment service.

Wesley Mission Brisbane is a diverse organisation, offering a broad range of specialist services to the community. Services include youth and family support, employment support under the current Job Network system, support services to the Indigenous community and aged care.

What medical services are covered?

All Medicare rebateable consultations provided in a private medical practice (by a General Practitioner or Specialist) are covered. This means that if you can claim a rebate from Medicare for the consultation, or if your doctor bulk bills, then the interpreting service is covered free of charge.

Other health consultations that an Auslan interpreter can be booked for include:

What medical services are not covered?

Consultations that occur in private or public hospitals are not covered by this service.

Health consultations that are not listed above are not covered by the service.

National Auslan Booking Services has more detailed information about what medical services are covered.

How much will the service cost me?

Provided the service is covered by this service, there is no charge for deaf Auslan users.

Who can book the service?

National Auslan Booking Services will provide interpreting services for both deaf adults and children.

The service will also accommodate situations where there is a deaf adult and hearing child, or hearing parent and deaf child attending a private medical consultation.

National Auslan Booking Services has more detailed information about who can book an interpreter.

How do I make a booking?

The service can be contacted between 8am and 8pm (Monday to Friday) and 8am to 1pm on Saturday - except on national public holidays (for example Christmas Day and Good Friday).