2004 AUSIT Excellence Awards

Excellence Award - 'Small Team/Individual’

EVERY CHILD IS IMPORTANT - a talking book produced by LOTE Marketing

The talking book was produced for the Australian Childhood Foundation as part of the ‘Every Child is Important’ campaign which works to elicit social commitment to children. A key component of the multicultural strategy recommended by LOTE Marketing to reach parents in CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) communities, the talking book was published on CD Rom in seven languages (Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, English, Macedonian, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese) and explores a number of important issues about children and being a parent. Joe Tucci, the foundation's Executive Director, described it as the ‘cutting edge in parenting education in Australia’. Its audio content can be printed out and used as handouts.

Judges comments:

Takes into account the relationship between the oral and visual language; assessment of needs is well researched; use of practitioners with the highest levels of NAATI accreditation for translating, checking and recording; use of focus group testing for translated text prior to publication; high calibre software; innovative approach to delivering parenting education to a multicultural audience in a cost-efficient way; wide educational applicability of the concept, e.g. in the legal, health etc. areas; the organisation has a wonderful community spirit; skills are not only developed but are returned to the community; format reaches a lot of people; wide audience; easy to update.

Excellence Award - ‘Organisation’

The Interpreter Online Booking System by All Graduates

A first in Australia, this innovative booking system allows clients to post interpreter booking requests online and enables accredited interpreters registered with All Graduates to log on to and access these requests in real time in order to select and accept assignments. Both clients and practitioners AUSIT interviewed about the new system lauded several of its aspects, including its flexibility, and the opportunity to double-check booking details and have access to background information on the organisation requesting the booking. A major client and user of the Online Booking System said the system's greatest recommendation was that while a dual system, (i.e. fax and online) was available under the current contract, the portion of online bookings had already reached 60%. Access to the password-protected booking section of the site www.allgraduates.com.au is by application.

Judges comments:

Convenience for interpreters and clients; facilitates record keeping; saves time; after-hours accessibility; provides advance notice of appointments and ability to select according to expertise; information available on cultural and briefing elements; use of inquiry and confirmation; educational value for clients and interpreters; only system of its kind in Australia.

Highly Commended -Organisation’

THE HEALTH TRANSLATION ON-LINE DIRECTORY – Department of Human Services, Webcommunications Unit

This online catalogue/directory (www.healthtranslations.vic.gov.au) of translated health information available throughout Australia was developed by the team that manages the Better Health Channel in Victoria, and has successfully enhanced online access to quality assured health information in languages other than English for health practitioners and intermediaries. It includes over 800 English language resources, and over 9,000 multilingual documents in 61 languages. For quality purposes, the translated material made accessible via this site must comply with a number of minimum standards, including a requirement that the translation was completed by an accredited translator and appropriately checked.

Judges comments:

Excellent presentation; provided a report with evidence of outcomes; high applicability for other organisations; utilised previous materials; care taken with the research and location of materials; hits on the website as a measure; addresses issues of quality by encouraging consistent guidelines in translation procedures.

Honorary Award for Lifetime Achievement

David Connor, an accredited professional translator in many European languages, is one of the founding members and a former AUSIT Vic/Tas office-bearer, who for many years served the translating and interpreting industry in a variety of roles.