Intro

Sean Sweeney on the complications and joys of growing up as a a hearing child in a deaf family, using Auslan, a distinctively Australian sign language.

In his twenties, Sean rebelled against the deaf world, and began to look for a new life in the hearing one.

But after eighteen years, he returned. He found work as an interpreter at TAFE, and he met his future wife.

In 2019, Sean became well known for interpreting from English to Auslan for Australia's Rural Fire Service during Australia's Bushfire Emergency.

The episode of Conversations explores family, Auslan, interpreting, bushfire emergency, family, CODA