Published on: 13th October 2026
National Week of Deaf People (NWDP) ran from 21 to 27 September 2026, but at Deaf Connect we celebrated for the entirety of September! We had a range of activities across the country, along with a special Bluey campaign partnership with the ABC. Read on for more details…
Community events around the country
We had several events across the country, hosted by our Community Engagement Coordinators. Kids and adults in Brisbane watched Deaf-led mime performances and learned what it takes to mime. Adelaide, Tasmania and Townsville had Deaf-led tours and walks, and Sydney’s program at the Sydney Opera House included two Auslan tours and a community evening gathering. Darwin held a games night, Cairns an art workshop and Wollongong a Fire Rescue NSW station tour. Perth joined the Everlasting Ideas 2026 Festival with interpreting.
Bluey, Sign & Seek, and Emma Memma
Our Language Services department teamed up with the ABC to support the Bluey Sign & Seek game, part of the Whack-a-doo Weekend campaign, helping Auslan reach families through one of Australia’s best-loved children’s shows.
Then on 25 September, we invited our Therapy and Family Services families to join us at ABC Brisbane for a special early screening of Sign & Seek episodes and enjoy an Auslan dance session with Emma Memma. It was a joyous celebration of Auslan for our families and therapists!
Resources for schools and workplaces
We released Educational Resources for teachers and a NWDP Toolkit for businesses that want to show their support. Both are available here: National Week of Deaf People – Deaf Connect
Thank you!
NWDP 2026 was the work of many teams across Deaf Connect. Thank you to everyone who organised and showed up. Most of all, thank you to the Deaf community, and to the friends, families and allies who joined us. NWDP is our week to celebrate pride and Deaf culture, and we are glad to do it together. See you next year!
