Launching Auslan Santa

28 December 2022

This year we launched an Auslan Santa pilot program in Westfield Parramatta, Westfield Chermside and Westfield Southland.

This experience offered children who use Auslan as their primary form of communication the chance to share their Christmas wish-list directly with an Auslan‑fluent Santa.

The program was developed in collaboration with Deaf Australia and included longer sessions with helpers and an interpreter on hand to facilitate.

“A Deaf Santa contributes to the magic of the Christmas experience for Deaf and hard of hearing children who can communicate with them in their own language, so we are delighted to work with Westfield on this experience,” said Jen Blyth, Deaf Australia Chief Executive Officer.

National Community Manager, Pam Wilson, said: “Auslan Santa continues our commitment to make the magical Santa experience more inclusive and accessible to more of our customers.

“All the available sessions were fully booked and received positive customer feedback.

“We plan to launch the customer experience more widely in 2023 and beyond.

“The introduction of Auslan Santa follows the national launch of Sensitive Santa in 2019, a tailored experience for those with sensory challenges, anxiety, disabilities, or families who simply require more time.

“Auslan Santa and Sensitive Santa are both initiatives that bring our approach to diversity, equity and inclusion to life for our customers. By offering experiences tailored to diverse
communities we are actively including them and providing opportunities for them to equitably enjoy our destinations.”

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners and communities of the lands on which our business operates.

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We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to their Elders past and present.

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We recognise the unique role of Māori as Tangata Whenua of Aotearoa/New Zealand.