Wednesday 18, February
6.00pm-7.30pm
Online via Zoom
Have you ever wondered how emergency warnings are communicated across languages, cultures, and remote communities? What happens when life-saving information must be delivered in Indigenous languages during extreme weather events?
Preparing for and responding to extreme weather events presents major challenges in multilingual and culturally diverse communities, particularly in regional and remote regions. This webinar explores an innovative training initiative in Australia’s Northern Territory that brings together emergency management agencies, meteorologists, and Aboriginal interpreters to improve communication during natural disasters.
Rachel Leigh Taylor will share insights from her PhD research with Monash University, which examines a collaborative training model developed by the Northern Territory Emergency Services (NTES), the Bureau of Meteorology (Bureau), the NT Government Public Information Group (NTPIG), and the Aboriginal Interpreter Service (AIS). The training workshop prepares Aboriginal interpreters for roles in providing emergency warnings through live-televised media briefings during cyclones and other extreme weather events.
Rachel is an industry leader in language and literacy practice, working across cross-cultural contexts to foster inclusive and community-led learning environments. Her research focuses on enhancing intercultural communication in disaster and emergency settings, capturing collaboration between emergency services and Aboriginal interpreters to improve multilingual communication.
Through real-world examples and stakeholder perspectives, this session will highlight strategies for building capability among both interpreters and emergency managers, fostering trust and two-way communication, and ensuring that emergency information is accessible to all. Attendees will be encouraged to reflect on how these lessons might apply in Aotearoa New Zealand and other Indigenous language contexts.
This webinar will be valuable for interpreters, translators, and students interested in emergency communication, Indigenous language access, and culturally responsive practice. You will gain practical insights into communication during crises, the role of interpreters in public safety, and approaches to strengthening community trust and preparedness.
You can join us live or watch the recording at a later date. Please note: the recording will only be provided to registered participants.
The Zoom link will be sent to registered participants one day before the event. If you have not received the link, please email [email protected] for assistance (during business hours on weekdays only). Please check your spam email first.
This event is eligible for PD points according to the NAATI recertification catalogue category 1.5
Registration for this event will close at 11.59 pm on Monday, 16 February 2025