New CD ROM breaks down language barriers:
Western Australia Media Release
Wednesday, 13 July 2005
In an exciting new communications breakthrough, Centrelink will launch a multilingual audiovisual CD ROM to help break down barriers for the increasing number of cultural groups speaking different languages in Australia.
The new 'Welcome to Centrelink' CD ROM is an easy-to-understand guide to Centrelink's payments, services and assistance in 10 languages - Amharic, Arabic, Dari, Dinka, French, Pushto, Somali, Swahili, Tigrinya and English.
Centrelink Multicultural Services manager for Western Australia, Ms Ljiljana Djordjevic said the launch of the new CD ROM is a major step in communicating important information to Australia's new arrivals.
"Centrelink has been responding to the needs and demands of new and emerging communities such as those from the Horn of Africa and Afghanistan," Ljiljana said.
"These customer groups often come from countries where the emphasis is on oral communication. Centrelink's reaction to this communication gap led to the development of the CD ROM," Ljiljana said.
Centrelink Multicultural Services are proud of its reputation as a leader in communicating with multicultural Australia.
"Australia's cultural mix comprises of over 200 countries with Australians speaking nearly 200 languages," she said. "In the face of this challenge, Centrelink is constantly expanding our information strategies in order to bring multicultural Australia closer together."
The 'Welcome to Centrelink' CD ROM is now available for community groups and can be ordered from your local Centrelink Multicultural Service officer or phone (02) 8512 0827. Expansion of the number of languages available on the CD ROM will be considered in the future.
The information in the 'Welcome to Centrelink' CD ROM, is also available as a fact sheet in 34 community languages in the 'We Speak Your Language' section of the Centrelink website at www.centrelink.gov.au
For more information, telephone the relevant Centrelink Media Contact.
