Annual Review

Our Community Pillar is synonymous with the services we deliver, across all our cohorts and regions.  
 
During the past financial year Deaf Connect has transformed one of the oldest services we deliver, Information services’ and established a new process of community engagement through a revamped and established new Community and Capacity team.  
The new structure aims to ensure every Deaf Australian has access to a go-to Community Engagement Coordinator local to their state and our clients have clear paths to receive information, navigate supports and engage with the community and our organisation.  
 
This has been just one example of the way Deaf Connect is structuring and adapting all our services to ensure the community’s needs are met.  
 
Our commitment to community can also be seen in the establishment of our new Brisbane office, known as MOBO. Following extensive community consultation, Deaf Connect is happy to have our own Deaf Space where we can bring community and staff together. This concept was put into practice when staff and board members, community members, government and key stakeholders came together in the MOBO office for our official launch in May. 

Deaf Connect kickstarted FY 2024/25 with our largest Sydney Deaf Festival to date. The festival keeps growing year on year, and we see more families pencilling in travel to Sydney for that weekend each year. Deaf Connect is proud to support the festival as part of the organising committee, and as the major sponsor – empowering the community to build the event their way.

As is now tradition we flowed straight into National Week of Deaf People in September 2024, the year headlined by our ‘Traffic Signs’ billboard and online campaign. Traffic Signs was a national campaign, supported in Queensland by goa’s Community Partnerships Program which encouraged all Australians to find out more about the Deaf community, culture and language.

Deaf Connect closed out the calendar year by receiving the Excellence in Service Quality award at the 2024 National Disability Awards. An award which celebrated the work of our whole team, who come together to create a complete experience for our clients.

Finally our Leadership was tested in early 2025 by Cyclone Alfred, which largest impacted the Gold Coast and Northern NSW areas, but required a coordinated effort from the most impactful organisations in the Deaf Ecosystem. Deaf Connect was proud to be at the spearhead of the information campaign which ensured the Deaf Community was informed and safe during a nearly unprecedented event for those impacted areas.

Deaf Connect continues to work with the Deaf community to understand gaps in service delivery – what do the community need, and where are our highest priorities. Through this process Deaf Connect identified the need to grow our Ageing Well program into Victoria. In March the program launched in metropolitan Victoria, and we are now delivering a range of in-home supports to Victorian based seniors.

Deaf Connect has also continued to utilise our Community Grants program, furnished by the Deaf Lottery, to support innovative projects designed and led by community members. These grants create opportunities for individuals and groups to strengthen connections, celebrate culture, and deliver initiatives that make a real difference. In 2024/25 this has included:

• Support of some of the largest Deaf Festivals and community events in each state – including the Adelaide Deaf Festival, WA Markets, Hands and Hearts Fair, Brisbane Mini-Festival and more.
• Continuing our ongoing support of Deaf Youth Australia – this year for the ‘Woosh’ Camp
• Funding towards a range of major events including the ASLITA National Conference, and the naming rights sponsorship of the Asia Pacific Deaf Basketball Championship in Melbourne.

The ongoing rollout and evolution of Deaf Connect’s property strategy has been a strong focus for the organisation in 2024/25. Headlined by the consolidation of two Brisbane offices to South Brisbane, the strategy also supports the ongoing evaluation of our office holdings nationally to ensure the best standards for our community and staff.

A major improvement in 2024/25 was the introduction of DC Pearl, our new payroll and HR system. Pearl gives staff a single, easy-to-use platform for pay, leave and HR processes, replacing outdated systems with one streamlined experience. This change has already reduced administration, improved accuracy, and provided staff with more visibility and control over their employment information.

Deaf Connect also completed our latest Have Your Say Survey, which invited staff to share feedback on their experiences at work. The results showed strong alignment with our values and high levels of staff engagement, while also identifying areas for improvement. Addressing these areas has been key focus as we enter the next strategic plan, ensuring staff continue to shape the future of Deaf Connect.

In 2025, Deaf Connect began a new funding cycle for the Hear for Kids in School program – improving educational opportunities and enhancing learning outcomes for students who are Deaf or hard of hearing in Prep, Year One, and Year Two. 

Supported by the Queensland Government Department of Education’s Specialist Disability Support in Schools (SDSS) Program, our team of Speech Language Pathologists and Occupational Therapists work with each student’s school support team to deliver services across greater Brisbane and Townsville. 

In Terms 1 and 2 of 2025, more than 90 students across 26 schools were supported through 67 days of speech therapy and 29 days of occupational therapy.  

Therapists work in-class – supporting students one-on-one, guiding school staff with strategies, and ensuring the correct use of assistive technology. Goal setting, assessments, and progress tracking are embedded within the program, with reports shared with families and schools to guide next steps.  

Hear for Kids continues to deliver evidence-based, best-practice support for students, resulting in strengthened classroom participation and inclusion. 

We look forward to the continued delivery of this program in 2026 and beyond. 

Over the past financial year, one of the major projects achieved was the delivery of Deaf Awareness Training (DAT) across all South Australia’s Local Health Networks. 

Our community often faces a substantial lack of Deaf awareness, especially in the healthcare system. This can lead to interpreters not being booked, family members being asked to interpret, and medical advice not being provided in a Deaf-friendly or Auslan-accessible way. 

Announced in 2024, our team worked to design a Deaf Awareness Training module specifically for healthcare professionals, in collaboration with several Local Health Networks across South Australia. The training provides essential knowledge about communicating with Deaf people, booking interpreters, and respecting Deaf identity and culture. Through real-life scenarios, the training reinforces that Auslan is a fundamental human right, and needs to be ensured.  

Since the training was first made available, the Central Adelaide Local Health Network alone has had 938 staff complete the program.  

We look forward to collaborating with more hospitals and health services in future to increase Deaf awareness across the nation. 

June 2024 marked the beginning of a new chapter for Deaf Connect’s major fundraiser – the Deaf Lottery. After nearly a year of planning and collaboration, the new Deaf Lottery brand was officially launched across digital, print and social channels.

Developed in partnership with a Brisbane-based advertising agency, we introduced a bold new logo and creative direction for the Deaf Lottery, supported by a national campaign across TV, radio, print, and digital platforms. The refreshed brand identity celebrates our Deaf community and raises awareness of the services and programs Deaf Connect proudly delivers.

The new brand debuted with Deaf Lottery Draw 223, which opened on Monday 16 June. Weeks later, we announced the winner – an 80-year-old woman who is hard of hearing herself. She travelled more than 1.5 hours to visit the Deaf Connect office, meeting over 60 staff in person for a morning tea that brought everyone together.

This rebrand represents a major milestone for our lottery and organisation. Proceeds continue to be reinvested in Deaf Connect’s services and Deaf-led projects that empower and unite the community.

In September 2024, we launched Auslan90, a pioneering news program delivering the day’s headlines entirely in Auslan. Created in partnership with SBS, Auslan90 fills a long-standing gap in accessible news for our Deaf community. 

Until now, only critical updates – such as those during COVID-19 or natural disasters – were regularly available in Auslan. Partnering with one of Australia’s leading broadcasters has made daily news in Auslan a reality, helping to build a stronger, more informed, and connected society for everyone. 

Following the success of the pilot, Auslan90 received funding through the Federal Government Department of Social Services’ Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) Program.  

Our skilled Deaf team of translators, content creators, and presenters have brought each episode to life, and we’re incredibly grateful to SBS for demonstrating that Auslan can be seamlessly integrated into Australia’s fast-paced media cycle. 

In May 2025, Deaf Connect launched Signs of Success – a video series and employer handbook designed to support businesses in fostering career progression for Deaf employees across Australia. 

Developed in collaboration with the National Disability Insurance Agency, the Victorian College for the Deaf, the Western Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, F45 Training, and Deaf Connect, each episode features real employee experiences and practical guidance for inclusive workplaces.  

The initiative was funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services through the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) program. 

Launched at the Australian Disability Network’s Impact 2025 Conference in Sydney, and supported by research from Deakin University, this project combined evidence-based insights with practical strategies to ensure relevance across industries. 

Signs of Success reflects Deaf Connect’s commitment to promoting workplace inclusion, increasing visibility of Deaf employees, and equipping businesses to create equitable and accessible career pathways.  

It set a benchmark for inclusive employment practices and offered a practical model for organisations across Australia. 

Over February and March 2025, our Deaf Space project team set out to understand how Deaf Space is experienced, valued, and imagined across the Australian Deaf community.  Through a series of community consultations with over 250 participants, we captured powerful stories about what makes a space truly Deaf-led, culturally safe, and inclusive. 

Eighteen focus groups were held across nine cities – Darwin, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Hobart, Brisbane, Cairns, and Adelaide. Participants included Deaf, Deafblind, Deaf disabled, and Hard of Hearing people. 

These findings guided the release of our Deaf Space Report and will continue to inform a national roadmap for future Deaf Spaces across Australia. 

We are grateful to the community members who took the time and effort to convey their insights on what makes a Deaf Space, and how we can create more of these across our nation.  

With their knowledge and experience, the Deaf Space project continues to guide us into a future where Deaf accessibility and representation are embedded across all areas of society. 

In August 2024, we proudly supported the largest Deaf Festival Sydney to date, welcoming record numbers of attendees to Cathy Freeman Park. As Platinum Sponsor for the third consecutive year, we continued our close connection with the local Deaf community in New South Wales, celebrating Deaf culture, language, and identity. 

More than 30 years since the first Deaf Festival, this event continues to grow as one of Australia’s most significant celebrations of Deaf culture. In 2024, thousands of people came together – many travelling from interstate and overseas – to connect, share, and celebrate. The free event offered a space for Deaf people and allies to express pride in Auslan and Deaf identity, reinforcing that our language and community are strong, visible, and thriving. 

With more than 59 stallholders, the festival featured food trucks, a kids’ zone, performance stage, and seniors’ tent. Deaf Festival Sydney 2024 was made possible through support from Convo Australia, Concentrix (NRS), Hearing Australia, Next Sense, PAH!, Word of Mouth Technology, Bradley Reporting, Emma Memma, and Escala Partners, with additional support from Parramatta City Council.  

Events like Deaf Festival Sydney are powerful reminders of the importance of visibility, pride, and unity in our community. 

September 2024 marked the beginning of National Week of Deaf People, and we were thrilled to partner with Brisbane-based advertising company goa to deliver over 80 billboards across the nation. Over four weeks, our billboards were displayed in major cities and regional areas, featuring a variety of easy-to-learn Auslan signs designed to spark curiosity, encourage conversation, and challenge common stereotypes about the Deaf community. 

Through goa’s Community Partnerships Program, our team developed over 150 creative pieces, ensuring the messages reached as many people as possible. The campaign resonated strongly, with staff, community members, and the wider public sharing photos and videos from the billboards across social media.  

In parallel with the billboard campaign, we also organised a series of National Week of Deaf People events nationwide. Highlights included a barbecue in Brisbane, a Deaf Kitchen experience in Parramatta, a community gathering in Townsville and a range of smaller local events that communities enjoyed.

Overall, more than 370 people attended Deaf Connect NWDP events in 2024, and countless others engaged with the Traffic Signs campaign through social media and on the streets.  

NWDP 2024 demonstrated the power of combining creativity and education to raise awareness of Deaf culture and spark more engagement with our community. 

Another major milestone in 2024 was the opening of our new Brisbane office at MOBO, bringing together our Moorooka and Alderley teams under one roof. Following extensive community consultation to understand what mattered most to Brisbane-based Deaf community members and staff, we officially opened this new space on the 8th of May 2025. 

The launch event brought together staff and community members to honour our shared culture, heritage, and language. It was a time to celebrate what MOBO represents –belonging, empowerment, and inclusivity. 

Since opening, our MOBO office has become a vibrant place for community connection – hosting everything from seniors’ craft groups, morning teas, National Week of Deaf People celebrations, Deaf Lottery winners, and more. 

We look forward to creating many more community moments like these in the years to come.