This report draws upon the literature to determine the economic benefits of Auslan. The report employs a cultural linguistic lens to consider the capability benefits afforded to users of Auslan associated with Auslan access, exposure, and usage. The report then estimates the capability benefits of Auslan, through capability enrichment, where increased capabilities result in the redress of the estimated economic burdens arising from deafness. 

The report identifies the economic benefits of sign language are significant, and the findings suggest that the Social Return on Investment of Auslan access and usage are likely to substantially exceed the modest investment required to facilitate language access and exposure. Sign language is critical to the redress of language deprivation, and sign language is seen as critical to the emerging challenges of language deprivation syndrome. Auslan is an essential tool in promoting improved health literacy and promoting better educational and vocational outcomes. 

Beyond the economic benefits, that are exceedingly high, the cultural benefits of Auslan to the Deaf community are significant. Supporting stakeholders, including educators, policy makers and those facilitating the delivery of civic and community services to deliver culturally appropriate services necessitates an acknowledgement of the critical role of Auslan in all aspects of society. The embedding of Auslan into civic systems is essential in shifting mindsets from ‘conscious ableism’ to a cultural linguistic view of Auslan that aligns with the values of the Deaf community.

This report is one of three ground-breaking reports on the economic impact of Auslan accounting for the critical benefits to wellbeing, health literacy, services access and the productivity of the Australian economy. The research seeks to account for the benefits associated with Auslan as a community-enabling and culturally supportive language.