Rosemary Wilkinson Signing with Rev Carol Bennett
Once a month, the Hobart North congregation makes its weekly Sunday service more inclusive for hearing impaired members by offering sign language interpretation.
Generally it is a communion service on the fourth Sunday. The initiative began when the former New Town Road (and later the New Town-Moonah) congregation offered signing support to members in the 1990s.
Hobart North minister Rev Rod Peppiatt said the New Town-Moonah congregation made it clear signing was important to them when it joined to form the Hobart North congregation in 2006.
Mr Peppiatt said providing the service was made possible because of the “generosity of heart and spirit” of interpreters Rosemary Wilkinson and Veronica Azzopardi, who are not members of the congregation but provide their services at a reduced rate.
“It is a generous volunteering of their time and they bring a real warmth and delight to the services,” Mr Peppiatt said.
Mr Peppiatt said offering the signed support allowed the church to be a little more inclusive for people who generally may be denied a
“voice” in services.
He said the church would like to expand its connections with the Hobart deaf community and was also looking at ways it could be more inclusive of the broad communities represented within the city.
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