Deaf Connect

Deaf Connect is an Australian organisation that describes itself as the largest whole-of-life service provider and social impact organisation for Deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing Australians. It positions its work around community and empowerment, supporting Deaf Australians and their families to make choices and actions to thrive in life, while pursuing a national agenda to improve equity for the Deaf community and to remove systemic cultural and language barriers. Its public identity is closely tied to Auslan, Australian Sign Language, and to Deaf culture and history. The organisation delivers a broad range of services. These include Auslan interpreting bookings, Auslan translation work with government and non-government organisations to create video content accessible to Auslan users, and Auslan language classes for the general public through its Introduction to Auslan courses. It also runs courses specifically for Deaf and hard of hearing adults, such as its NSW courses taught in Auslan from its Parramatta office, with 2-day and 18-week formats funded by the NSW Government and covering topics such as Deaf History, Auslan Linguistics and using ChatGPT. It publishes resources for families, including a Parent Handbook described as a one-stop guide for parents and caregivers of deaf children. Beyond direct services, Deaf Connect engages in advocacy, community resourcing and events. It hosts and promotes events for the National Week of Deaf People across Australia, maintains community resources such as the Deaf History Collections website launched with Deaf Australia to showcase over a century of historical photos, records and artefacts from the Australian Deaf community, and administers a Grants and Sponsorships Program funded by the Deaf Lottery to support individuals, community groups and organisations. It also recruits staff and promotes careers, describing itself as looking for passionate, purpose-driven people to support and empower local Deaf, deafblind and hard-of-hearing communities. Deaf Connect operates nationally across Australia, with activities and offices referenced in multiple states, including a Parramatta office in New South Wales and a Queensland peak body role. It publishes an annual review and a 2025-2030 Strategic Plan organised around core pillars of Community, Leadership and Capacity Building, Partnerships, and Organisational Accountability, with a vision of empowered, connected and achieving Deaf Australians. The organisation is not a conventional commercial retailer or product manufacturer; it functions as a mission-driven service and advocacy organisation whose brand is built on language access, community empowerment and social change.

Deaf Connect presents itself as an organisation built around the Australian Deaf community, its language and its culture. In its own account, it is the largest whole-of-life service provider and social impact organisation for Deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing Australians, and it frames its mission as standing with the Deaf community to build capacity and influence social change while paying respect to history, culture and language. Its work is organised around community and empowerment, supporting Deaf Australians and their families to make choices and actions to thrive in life, and around a national agenda to improve equity for the Deaf community and remove systemic cultural and language barriers. A significant part of the organisation's public history is its role in preserving and sharing Deaf heritage. Deaf Connect states that the Deaf History Collections website was officially launched on Friday 16 February at Sydney University. A working group made up of Deaf Connect and Deaf Australia created the website to showcase artefacts from Deaf organisations and community members nationally, presenting over a century of historical photos, records and artefacts from the Australian Deaf community. Dr Breda Carty AO and Dr Susannah Lee were on hand to showcase and launch the website. The organisation also acts as a national convener and service hub. It hosts events across Australia for the National Week of Deaf People, described as a week to connect with Deaf communities in Australia and around the world, and it runs a Grants and Sponsorships Program funded by the Deaf Lottery that supports individuals, community groups and organisations to create impact, build skills and strengthen community connection. It provides Auslan translations for government and non-government organisations, creates video content accessible to Auslan users, and offers Introduction to Auslan classes to the public. Deaf Connect also develops training aimed specifically at Deaf adults. Its NSW Courses for Deaf Adults are taught in Auslan from its Parramatta office, with 2-day and 18-week options funded by the NSW Government, covering topics such as Deaf History, Auslan Linguistics and how to use ChatGPT. It publishes a Parent Handbook as a one-stop guide for parents and caregivers of deaf children, and it maintains a Queensland peak body role alongside its national activities. Institutionally, Deaf Connect publishes an Annual Review and, for the period 2025-2030, a Strategic Plan that it describes as the organisation's roadmap for the next five years. The plan reinforces its mission of standing with the Deaf community, building capacity and influencing social change, and is organised around core pillars of Community, Leadership and Capacity Building, Partnerships, and Organisational Accountability, guiding it toward a vision of empowered, connected and achieving Deaf Australians. The organisation also recruits staff nationally, seeking purpose-driven people to support and empower local Deaf, deafblind and hard-of-hearing communities.

• Deaf History Collections website officially launched at Sydney University on Friday 16 February, created by a working group of Deaf Connect and Deaf Australia.

• Deaf Connect launches its 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, setting out core pillars of Community, Leadership and Capacity Building, Partnerships, and Organisational Accountability.

• Deaf Connect publishes its Annual Review 2024/2025.

• National Week of Deaf People 2026 events hosted across Australia in September.

• NSW Courses for Deaf Adults offered with 2-day courses from September to November 2026 and 18-week courses from July to December 2026, funded by the NSW Government.

Australia's largest whole-of-life service provider and social impact organisation for Deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing Australians, focused on community empowerment, language access and social change.

• Auslan interpreting services

  Booking service for Auslan interpreters, promoted as a popular search on the Deaf Connect website.

• Auslan translations

  Deaf Connect works with government and non-government organisations to create appropriate video content accessible to Auslan users.

• Introduction to Auslan classes

  Classes for people to learn sign language, gain new skills and meet new people, with term-based enrolment.

• NSW Courses for Deaf Adults

  Courses taught in Auslan for Deaf adults in NSW from the Parramatta office, with 2-day and 18-week options funded by the NSW Government, covering topics such as Deaf History, Auslan Linguistics and using ChatGPT.

• Parent Handbook

  A one-stop guide for parents and caregivers of deaf children, supporting access to clear information and the right supports.

• Grants and Sponsorships Program

  Funded by the Deaf Lottery, supporting individuals, community groups and organisations to create impact, build skills and strengthen community connection.

• Deaf History Collections

  A website created with Deaf Australia showcasing over a century of historical photos, records and artefacts from the Australian Deaf community.

1. 1Auslan & Sign Language Services Australia | Deaf Connectdeafconnect.org.au
2. 2NSW Courses for Deaf Adults - Deaf Connectdeafconnect.org.au
3. 3Deaf History Collections - Deaf Connectdeafconnect.org.au
4. 4About Us - Deaf Connectdeafconnect.org.au
5. 5Deaf Connect - Wikidatawikidata.org