September 9, 2025
Article adapted from information provided by Bible Society Australia, available here.
A significant step forward in Bible accessibility has been achieved with the launch of auslan.bible, a new online platform making Scripture available in Auslan, the sign language of Australia’s Deaf community.
“Having the Bible in Auslan means people in the Deaf community can have full access to the Good News in their own language, not by text but on video. Their faces light up when they see the Gospel in Auslan; that is priceless!”
— Trudy Fraser, BSA Auslan Bible Project Translator
The Auslan Bible Translation Project has been steadily progressing for almost thirty years, led by the Auslan Bible Committee in partnership with Bible Society Australia (BSA). Since 1997, the goal has been clear: to ensure Deaf Australians can engage with God’s Word in their first language—fully, naturally, and clearly. In 2023, Wycliffe Bible Translators Australia joined the effort, further strengthening the translation work.
With the launch of the new website, the Auslan Bible has an accessible home. It offers video translations of Scripture, including the books of John and Acts, alongside a growing library of children’s Bible stories. A “Passage of the Day” feature provides daily encouragement, and the platform explains how translation happens and how the wider community can support the project.
“We are overjoyed that the Deaf Community now has a way to easily use the Auslan Bible. Every element of this new website was carefully and thoughtfully chosen by the Auslan Bible Committee after feedback from others in the Deaf community, with the layout and features designed specifically for people who have Auslan as a first language. Already we are receiving feedback about how easy the website is to use, and people in the community are spreading the word to others about it. It’s exciting to think about what God will do in individuals’ lives as they access his word through this new resource.”
— Amy Cruickshanks, BSA Linguistics and Translation Consultant on the Auslan Bible Project
A Language of the Heart
For many Deaf Australians, Auslan is their first and preferred language, while written English is a second language that may not convey meaning as deeply. Access to the Bible in Auslan allows the Deaf community to experience Scripture in a way that is natural, clear, true to the biblical source text, and speaks to their heart.
The project also has a generational impact, with children’s stories being translated and filmed in the new recording studio established in 2024. These resources are already helping Deaf children engage with Jesus’ story in a format they can understand and relate to.
Translation Supporting Bible Engagement
The launch of Alpha in Auslan—a collaborative effort between BSA, Wycliffe, and Alpha Australia—also represents a breakthrough in discipleship. For the first time, Deaf Australians can explore faith through Alpha entirely in their own language.
“Alpha in Auslan is making a difference. Deaf people who were not reading the Bible are reading the Bible now. Deaf people who were not praying, are praying now. Deaf people who didn’t know Jesus, know Jesus now.”
— Anne Horton, Auslan Interpreter and Alpha Facilitator
Deaf Community in Australia
Over 3.6 million Australians, projected to increase in the future, have some level of hearing loss. Approximately one in six Australians have significant hearing loss; however, only a small percentage are profoundly or moderately deaf and use Auslan. The 2021 Australian Census recorded 16,242 Auslan users at home, with estimates for the broader Auslan-using community, including hearing people, being larger.
The Auslan Bible Website is available here.
More information on this project is available, via BSA’s website, here.
