National Week of Deaf People

What is it?

The National Week of Deaf People (NWDP) is a week-long national celebration of Deaf individuals and the Australian Deaf community. This includes celebrating the International Week of Deaf People (IWDP) and International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) which are initiatives of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD).

These two events are traditionally held during September and are based on the founding date of the WFD (23 September 1951). National Week of Deaf People is an opportunity for Deaf people to celebrate their communities, language, culture and history; make the public aware of their local, state and national Deaf communities; and to recognise their achievements.

Daily Themes

National Week of Deaf People Theme for 2024: Sign up for Sign Language Rights. We adopt the World Federation of the Deaf’s daily themes for the International Week of Deaf People for use throughout NWDP.

The 2024 daily themes are:

Monday, 23 September 2024 | International Day of Sign Languages: Sign Up For Sign Language Rights
Tuesday, 24 September 2024 | Inclusive Education
Wednesday, 25 September 2024 | Sign Language Advocacy
Thursday, 26 September 2024 | Building Resilient Deaf Communities
Friday, 27 September 2024 | Diversity in Deaf Communities
Saturday, 28 September 2024 | Deaf Cultural Celebrations
Sunday, 29 September 2024 | Investing in the Future of Deaf Communities

Learn More

Have you seen the Billboards?

Deaf Connect uses National Week of Deaf People to showcase the Deaf community and raise awareness among the general public about sign language and the challenges the Deaf community faces. Last year, we launched a massive billboard campaign to highlight these issues, and we’re doing it again this year! We want to encourage the public to get curious about sign language and learn more about the Deaf community from their local Deaf leaders.

We need your help to amplify this message! If you see our billboards around, take a photo and post it using the hashtag #trafficsigns. Feel free to share your favorite signs and stories from the Deaf community during this week. Together, we can ensure everyone is “signed up for sign language rights”!

See Billboard Locations

How is Deaf Connect giving back?

As part of our ongoing commitment to the Deaf community, we are proud to be supporting several important events during the month of September this year!

We’re sponsoring the Asia-Pacific Deaf Basketball Championships in Melbourne from 21-29 September.
We’re partnering with the Australian Disability Network to host a webinar featuring Chief Services Officer Brent Phillips and Chief People & Culture Officer Isabelle Swanston on 24 September.
We are the principal sponsor of the Adelaide Deaf Festival on 21 September.
And we’re also serving as the Translations Sponsor for the ASLITA ANC Conference, which is on 13-15 September in Adelaide.

Through these partnerships and sponsorships, we aim to promote Deaf culture, sports, accessibility, and education across Australia.

Community Events

To celebrate National Week of Deaf People, Deaf Connect has supports the community to create the following events. There are many, many more to come.

Deaf Connect offices across Australia are hosting a variety of events for you to enjoy, including BBQs, picnics, an Amazing Race, morning teas, and more. We’re excited to see you in person and celebrate NWDP together. Visit our website for all the details and find out what events are happening in your local area!

There are also many community events happening around. If you know of or are organizing an event, please let us know, and we can add it to our directory on the website! Be sure to check back regularly as we’ll be adding more events as they come in.

melbourne, VIC