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Category: Deaf Australia News
2023 AGM Recap
Transcript
D: Hi Julie, how are you?
J: Hi Debra, how are you? Tell me what happened at the AGM yesterday? I heard about some changes.
D: Yes, our 37th AGM for Deaf Australia was really successful. A big thank you to all our members who voted for the passing of the motion for two major changes: 1. Change from INC to Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) and 2. A new constitution with amendments added.
J: Can you tell me more about the change from INC to CLG?
D: Sure, the reason for the change to a company is to make advocacy smoother for Deaf Australia and to make it easier to work with for all of Australia as a CLG.
J: Great! It's a really exciting time for the changes for Deaf Australia and our future.
D: Definitely. I also want to let the community members know that we will update them as we progress with the changes over time from INC to CLG, and with the constitution. We will share the amendments with everyone.
J: It's exciting to see new things happening for the entire Deaf community in Australia.
D: True, it's very exciting for the future of Deaf Australia – really exciting times.
J: Thank you for telling me the updates. See you later. Bye.
Visual description
Debra Swann and Julie Lyons are outside chatting about the events at the recent DA 2023 AGM. Debra is wearing a black shirt and brown jacket. Julie is wearing a red shirt and black cardigan. They both have glasses. They are signing in an animated fashion towards each other. The background is full of Australian native plants in a range of silvery-greens.
2023 Awards Winners Announced!
Transcript
[JULIE LYONS] Hello hello! How are you?
[KARTHIK VIJAYANANDAM] Hello, I’m good! Yourself?
[JL] Good, thank you. Hey, have you heard about the AGM?
[KV] Yup, I did.
[JL] Can you tell me more about the awards that were announced?
[KV] Yeah, no problem! There were 3 awards presented, I will explain the first 2. The first one is the Deaf Australian of the Year award. The second one is the Deaf Community Volunteer of the Year award.
[JL] Well who are they?
[KV] I will explain now. The Deaf Australian of the Year award goes to Jas Shirrefs (they/them)!
[JL] Can you tell me more about what they are involved in?
[KV] Jas is an impressive advocate for Deaf people. And not only for Deaf people! Also for the Deaf blind community, LGBTQ+ community, and the list goes on.
[JL] Wow all three!
[KV] And not only in Victoria, Australia-wide also. Through their social media they spread information and awareness about a variety of topics. They focus on intersectionality, the Deaf community, and awareness of global news using Auslan. Wow!
[JL] I have heard they are very inclusive, they want to involve everyone including Deaf blind people. Often Deaf blind people are forgotten about and we have to make sure they are included. It’s fantastic.
[KV] Yeah, that’s right. A perfect example, recently they were a part of deaf arts residency (DARE) in July. Jas was a part of that. They made sure the group thought of how to be inclusive of Deaf blind people. They made sure we organised a communication guide tour. It meant that Deaf blind people were able to access the event. A few other people were like “Ah, I’ve never thought of that!” So that is how Jas was a strong advocate for Deaf blind people. That’s really fantastic.
[JL] Incredible!
[Both] Congratulations Jas!
[JL] How about the other prize, Deaf Community Volunteer of the Year?
[KV] The winner of the Deaf Community Volunteer of the Year award goes to William Maggs (he/they)!
[JL] Fantastic. They’re a brilliant young man.
[KV] So how do we decide who wins this award? Actually, this decision comes from the Darwin family. Do you know Ann Darwin?
[JL] Yes that’s right, I know the Darwin family. I have seen her work, it’s really special.
[KV] Right! So Ann has been involved in Deaf Australia for 20 years. So, DA and Darwin family have agreed that William Maggs shall be the winner this year.
[JL] Will, well done! I think it’s fantastic to see more Deaf people getting involved in volunteer work and being a role model. Finally getting recognition for their work.
[KV] And on top that, he’s really young! Only 21 years old. They’ve made time to volunteer in numerous projects while still studying at university.
[JL] I’ve seen their art work. But they always explain about other peoples’ work, too. If it was me, I wouldn‘t think to share everyone’s work. I think it’s fantastic to see young people like this.
[KV] I agree, absolutely.
[JL] Wow, congratulations again Will! Now, I am interested to know the process for how Deaf people in the community can nominate someone for next year. Can you explain the nomination process to me?
[KV] Of course! Thank you, that’s a great question. This year we received a lot of nominations. So the board split up to tackle the work for both of the awards categories. We decide based on the information we receive. Some people who were nominated, we receive a few paragraphs about them. If they have examples of their impact on a local level, a national level and possibly even international level of impact. This means that the board takes into consideration how widespread their work impacts around Australia. Our recommendation is if you have a nominee you want to submit, try to explain to us in detail about them as much as possible. This way we, the board, can recognise if their influence is on a local, national or international level. And then we’ll pick the right person!
[JL] One more question, can the community submit their nominees information in Auslan or written English?
[KV] We accept both, you can do both.
[JL] Great! Well, I think we’ve used up all our time! We’ll leave the community to think about their nominees for next year 2024. They can brainstorm their picks and prepare their submissions to send to us. We will do more promoting and announce a bit more when we are ready to receive your nominations next year. Thanks for explaining it all to me, and I’ll see you later!
[KV] You’re welcome.
[Both] Bye!
[KARTHIK VIJAYANANDAM] Hello, I’m good! Yourself?
[JL] Good, thank you. Hey, have you heard about the AGM?
[KV] Yup, I did.
[JL] Can you tell me more about the awards that were announced?
[KV] Yeah, no problem! There were 3 awards presented, I will explain the first 2. The first one is the Deaf Australian of the Year award. The second one is the Deaf Community Volunteer of the Year award.
[JL] Well who are they?
[KV] I will explain now. The Deaf Australian of the Year award goes to Jas Shirrefs (they/them)!
[JL] Can you tell me more about what they are involved in?
[KV] Jas is an impressive advocate for Deaf people. And not only for Deaf people! Also for the Deaf blind community, LGBTQ+ community, and the list goes on.
[JL] Wow all three!
[KV] And not only in Victoria, Australia-wide also. Through their social media they spread information and awareness about a variety of topics. They focus on intersectionality, the Deaf community, and awareness of global news using Auslan. Wow!
[JL] I have heard they are very inclusive, they want to involve everyone including Deaf blind people. Often Deaf blind people are forgotten about and we have to make sure they are included. It’s fantastic.
[KV] Yeah, that’s right. A perfect example, recently they were a part of deaf arts residency (DARE) in July. Jas was a part of that. They made sure the group thought of how to be inclusive of Deaf blind people. They made sure we organised a communication guide tour. It meant that Deaf blind people were able to access the event. A few other people were like “Ah, I’ve never thought of that!” So that is how Jas was a strong advocate for Deaf blind people. That’s really fantastic.
[JL] Incredible!
[Both] Congratulations Jas!
[JL] How about the other prize, Deaf Community Volunteer of the Year?
[KV] The winner of the Deaf Community Volunteer of the Year award goes to William Maggs (he/they)!
[JL] Fantastic. They’re a brilliant young man.
[KV] So how do we decide who wins this award? Actually, this decision comes from the Darwin family. Do you know Ann Darwin?
[JL] Yes that’s right, I know the Darwin family. I have seen her work, it’s really special.
[KV] Right! So Ann has been involved in Deaf Australia for 20 years. So, DA and Darwin family have agreed that William Maggs shall be the winner this year.
[JL] Will, well done! I think it’s fantastic to see more Deaf people getting involved in volunteer work and being a role model. Finally getting recognition for their work.
[KV] And on top that, he’s really young! Only 21 years old. They’ve made time to volunteer in numerous projects while still studying at university.
[JL] I’ve seen their art work. But they always explain about other peoples’ work, too. If it was me, I wouldn‘t think to share everyone’s work. I think it’s fantastic to see young people like this.
[KV] I agree, absolutely.
[JL] Wow, congratulations again Will! Now, I am interested to know the process for how Deaf people in the community can nominate someone for next year. Can you explain the nomination process to me?
[KV] Of course! Thank you, that’s a great question. This year we received a lot of nominations. So the board split up to tackle the work for both of the awards categories. We decide based on the information we receive. Some people who were nominated, we receive a few paragraphs about them. If they have examples of their impact on a local level, a national level and possibly even international level of impact. This means that the board takes into consideration how widespread their work impacts around Australia. Our recommendation is if you have a nominee you want to submit, try to explain to us in detail about them as much as possible. This way we, the board, can recognise if their influence is on a local, national or international level. And then we’ll pick the right person!
[JL] One more question, can the community submit their nominees information in Auslan or written English?
[KV] We accept both, you can do both.
[JL] Great! Well, I think we’ve used up all our time! We’ll leave the community to think about their nominees for next year 2024. They can brainstorm their picks and prepare their submissions to send to us. We will do more promoting and announce a bit more when we are ready to receive your nominations next year. Thanks for explaining it all to me, and I’ll see you later!
[KV] You’re welcome.
[Both] Bye!
Visual description
Opening slide: Graphic image features white text on a blue and green gradient background. At the top there is a white Deaf Australia logo. In the middle there is a winner award icon with "Awards 2023" written in it. Text reads "Winners Announced! Deaf Australian & Deaf Community Volunteer of the Year. Message from Deaf Australia Board."
Video features Deaf Australia board members Karthik Vijayanandam and Julie Lyons discussing recent winners for the 2023 Deaf Australian of the Year Award and the 2023 Deaf Community Volunteer of the Year Award. They are chatting over Zoom in different environments. Karthik is sitting in an office chair with a white background behind him. Julie sitting outside with a bamboo grass wall behind her. They both looks happy to be discussing this topic.
Closing slide: Graphic features white Deaf Australia logo on a green and blue gradient background. Text reads “Deaf Australia is a Deaf-leg advocacy and information organisation in Australia representing all Deaf, Deafblind, and hard-of-hearing people and others who use Auslan (Australian Sign Language) as their language of preference. Contact us: [email icon] [email protected], [website icon] https://buff.ly/40UXM8b, [Instagram and Twitter icons] @deafaustralia, [Facebook icon] DeafAustraliaInc”
Congratulations to all of our 2023 Awards winners!
Deaf Australian
of the Year
Jas Shirrefs
Deaf Youth Australian
of the Year
Shanleigh Meldrum
Deaf Community
Volunteer of the Year
William Maggs
Read more about their achievements below:
Deaf Australian
of the Year
Jas Shirrefs
Jas has been nominated Jas for their efforts in creating a more socially conscientious, empowered and considerate Australian Deaf community. Jas is a dedicated human rights activist with an intersectional lens, with the Deaf community at the heart of their work.
Over the past few years, they have mobilised the use of social media and their art practice to advocate and raise awareness about various social issues with a focus on providing access to information in Auslan as well as empowering the Australian Deaf and hard of hearing community.
They also have a strong passion for calling out biases and negative attitudes towards the deafblind community. Jas always considers the access and experience of deafblind people through the development and exhibition of their artwork, resulting in an art practice that is inherently inclusive with a focus on tactile artwork.
For example, during the decision-making process for the Deaf DARE residency project. Jas played an instrumental role in ensuring that the space was inclusive for Deaf-blind people including being involved in organising tactile tours specifically for Deaf-blind people across Australia.
Deaf Youth Australian
of the Year
Shanleigh Meldrum
Shanleigh’s outstanding contributions are being acknowledged today, as she has been nominated by a community member for her remarkable efforts at Bendigo Deaf Hub and her dedication to volunteering with the State Emergency Service (SES). Notably, she has played a pivotal role in establishing youth spaces across regional Victoria specifically designed for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HoH) youth.
Recognising her commitment, the Victorian Government has honored Shanleigh for her volunteer work, a testament to her impactful contributions. In a noteworthy achievement, she was included in the Victorian Women Honour Roll for the year 2023.
Shanleigh has actively participated in emergency management forums, leveraging her involvement to raise awareness about the critical importance of disability inclusion and accessibility during emergencies. Her advocacy efforts have yielded tangible results, contributing to long-term benefits for Deaf, HoH, and Deafblind youth in regional and rural Victoria. Through her tireless work, she has heightened awareness of their unique needs, both in terms of mental and physical health.
In summary, Shanleigh’s dedication to fostering inclusivity and accessibility, particularly for the Deaf, HoH, and Deafblind youth in regional Victoria, has left an indelible mark. Her passion for emergency management and advocacy has not only garnered recognition from the community but has also translated into meaningful improvements in the lives of those she serves.
Deaf Community
Volunteer of the Year
William Maggs
William is a long-time member, multigenerational from Deaf family and he has volunteer his time not only in the South Australia Deaf Community but also within Australia Community. So as a young achiever, we believe he should recognise for their contribution especially over the last 12 months:
1. He has volunteer and a member of Deaf Rainbow NSW during the World Pride helping to organise events suitable for members of the Deaf Community. This involved organised gathering, set up of float, attending meetings, and designing marketing and logo branding all in his own time and cost.
2. He also Volunteer to be a Camp Presenter/Leader at the Crossing Boarder Camp in Brisbane in 2023. One week of extensive workshops, presenting to young emerging leaders, looking after young people, supervising, and doing photography for the camp.
3. Volunteered as a Youth participate attending Canberra to take part of the National Week of Deaf People at the Youth Parliamentary breakfast.
4. Been involved with the Deaf Gain Project and Panels as basically a volunteer work. This became a passion job for William to organise, set up and volunteer his own time for marketing and everything for this amazing project. This involves working with other members in other states and engaging them in the project.
5. Volunteer for the Adelaide Contemporary Experimental (ACE) Gallery Events as event organiser setting up, bumping in and out to ensure the events run smoothly.
6. Worked with Adelaide TAFE SA for special events stall works. As a young achiever doing so much volunteering work all while he is also study at university, we believe is amazing to see that not only he volunteer at a local level in his community but also in the wider Australia Deaf Community.
Auslan Santa 2023
Sign up information
Santa Photography Key Dates:
Bookings open: 19 October 2023
Santa’s arrival in Westfield centres: From 12 November 2023
Photography dates: From 12 November (may vary by centre) until 24 December 2023
Sign up for a booking with Auslan Santa
NSW
Westfield Liverpool:
● Thursday 23 November from 4pm – 7pm
Westfield Chatswood:
● Sunday 26 November from 3pm – 6pm
Westfield Tuggerah:
● Wednesday 29 November from 3pm – 6pm
Westfield Parramatta:
● Wednesday 13 December from 4pm – 7pm
Westfield Miranda:
● Saturday 16 December from 9am – 12pm
VIC
Westfield Fountain Gate:
● Saturday 18 November from 3pm – 3pm
● Sunday 19 November from 3pm – 6pm
Westfield Southland:
● Thursday 23 November from 5pm – 8pm
Westfield Geelong:
● Sunday 26 November from 3pm – 6pm
QLD
Westfield Chermside:
● Wednesday 15 November from 3:30pm – 6:30pm
● Friday 1 December from 3:30pm – 6:30pm
● Friday 8 December from 3:30pm – 6:30pm
Westfield Coomera:
● Friday 17 November from 3pm – 6pm
● Friday 1 December from 9am – 12pm
Westfield North Lakes:
● Tuesday 28 November from 3:30pm – 7:30pm
● Tuesday 5 December from 3:30pm – 7:30pm
ACT
Westfield Woden:
● Sunday 19 November from 10am – 12pm
Westfield Belconnen:
● Sunday 19 November from 2pm – 4pm
SA
Westfield Tea Tree Plaza:
● Tuesday 14 November from 6pm – 9pm
Westfield Marion:
● Wednesday 15 November from 5:30pm – 8:30pm
WA
Westfield Carousel:
● Friday 17 November from 5:30pm – 8:30pm
Westfield Whitford City:
● Friday 1 December from 5:30pm – 8:30pm
Media Release (English)
Sign up for a booking with Auslan Santa
CEO Update (Part 2: WFD 2027 Congress in UAE) – 23 Oct 2023
Transcript
Thirdly, earlier this year, we attended the WFD Congress in South Korea. During the congress, there was a General Assembly where we receive updates and vote on things, including the location of the next Congress.
The process is that countries put in their bids, two WFD board
and one WFDYS board member travel to these countries and inspect the sites and interview the nominees, before approving.
This year they also made the decision to provide a recommendation.
This year, three countries bidded – Nigeria in Africa, Norway in Europe and United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Middle East.
In the congress, WFD Board recommended UAE. The UAE won the bid.
However, there were questions about human rights, particularly regarding the 2SLGBTIQA+SB community, commonly referred to as 'Queer.'
21 countries (19 signatories), including Australia, wrote a motion for a request for an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to ask questions about the bidding process and to ask all three bidders to answer questions on human rights.
WFD accepted and an EGM was held on Saturday, from 9pm – 2.30am Melbourne time, which was a long night. Our intention was never to have a re-vote, but to clarify things, however we did write the word ‘vote’ in the motion – but it is important to remember that English is a second, third, fourth language for the majority of people in the world.
During this process, the agenda was around topics such as accepting the voting procedures and more.
1. Should the WFD Board be responsible for deciding whether bids meet human rights and then deciding whether they can be approved for voting by the members?
2. Which country would win the next Congress location?
So, that's the summary up to this point.
I had two Board members come to my home to watch together. Two of us voted while one observed. Sherrie Beaver, the vice-chairperson, and Karthik Vijayanandam as an observer joined me for the EGM. The three of us were together all night, and we asked questions.
I would like to bring up a personal comment: there have been a lot of comments and fear about women in UAE, stuff like can women go to UAE? Do they have to attend with a man? Is it safe to go? Can women present? I believe this is Islamophobia. I think this is directly related to a fear or inappropriate beliefs about religion, Muslim, and Islam. This needs to stop. Don't aim to burden women; however, there are a few extremists. Please conduct some research before making public claims and statements about this. That's what I wanted to share with you all.
Let's return to the Extraordinary General Meeting procedure from last Saturday. Three hours prior to the EGM, WFD released an open letter which I will attach. responding to some allegations from Norway in their magazines about the process of the bids and votes in Korea. WFD had tried to respond to them and get them to print a retraction, but apparently were not listened to, which is why they released the open letter.
On the night, Nigeria withdrew their bid, saying that there was
a fair democratic process where the UAE won in Korea. Norway removed their bid because of this open letter from the WFD. This meant UAE was the only country in the running.
Please remember that the Board agreed that we don't want to hold a re-vote. We wanted to ask questions for clarification before accepting that the UAE has won the bid.
So, we voted on two main issues during this process: the WFD and the country's bid. We all agreed that we don't want WFD to accept bids from countries with poor human rights records. We, as members, want to be the ones making this decision, not the WFD. That covers the first part. As for the second part, the country's bid.
We are not allowed and won’t ask for another EGM to happen again. We accept that a democratic process has happened. That is what happened. Does this mean I will ignore any of your objections? No, I welcome your feedback and also continue to relay this to WFD to ensure that the next Congress is successful. Thank you.
Additional references:
1. Open letter: https://wfdeaf.org/news/resources/clarification-and-response-to-om-norway/
2. WFD Update re: Congress: https://fb.watch/nSLc-Xg2ck/
CEO Update (Part 1) – 23 Oct 2023
Transcript
Hello. This is Jen Blyth, CEO of Deaf Australia. I am making this video on Wurundjeri country of the Kulin Nation - Melbourne.
I have a CEO update. I'll try to keep it brief, but it's rather lengthy. Just a heads up in advance.
1. Services Australia (Centrelink) - Part 1
2. NDIS guidelines - Part 1
3. WFD 2027 Congress in UAE - Part 2
Services Australia
A Deaf community member reached out to us to ask us
to help advocate for the removal of the requirement to have interpreters be a nominee for Deaf people when making calls to Centrelink. We agreed this was an important advocacy issue, and we have successfully advocated for this removal. Service Australia have changed their policies and procedures which will be updated on their website soon. They will remove this requirement for nominees, instead changing the process to ask identifying questions from the interpreter, such as what their NAATI number is. This is a great win.
NDIS would we fund it guidelines
The NDIS has developed some guidelines to cover Deaf-specific requirements, such as Auslan at home for families and interpreting being covered. On their website, they will soon post about topics such as Auslan in the home for families, Auslan for adults, and interpreting services. Unfortunately, they don't share the hours or the costs, but the funds will be covered. This is a positive step that benefits everyone.
37th Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Transcript
Hello all. Deaf Australia will have its 37th Annual General Meeting on Saturday 18th November 2023 at 2PM Sydney/Melbourne time. Our AGM will be at Meat Market in North Melbourne. We will utilise a hybrid model, which means the AGM will be in person and live streamed online. Please register for the AGM so we can organise catering for those who will be attending in person.
There are some important information related to voting at the AGM.
Our new Constitution with big changes eg. length of membership becoming annual not lifetime. Please make sure you read the proposed new Constitution prior to the AGM. You will get a copy of the new Constitution along with this Notice.
Deaf Australia plans to change from an incorporated association to Company Limited by Guarantee. The change needs to be voted by members.
Board nominations as there are three positions available. If you are interested in joining the Deaf Australia Board, please send your nomination form by Sunday 5th November 2023.
If you are unable to attend our AGM but would like to vote, please send your Proxy and Apology form by Sunday 12th November 2023.
If you have any items to be added to the Agenda, please email our CEO by Sunday 5th November 2023. The email address is [email protected].
During the AGM, we will also present three awards: Deaf Australian of the Year, Deaf Youth Australian of the Year, and Community Volunteer of the Year.
Deaf Australia will also facilitate a Q&A evening on Friday 17th November 2023, the day before our AGM. This is to give you an opportunity to get clarification or ask questions about our new Constitution. More information will be shared soon. Hope to see you there!
Dear Member,
Deaf Australia Inc will hold its thirty-seventh (37th) Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday 18 November at 2.00 PM (Melbourne/Sydney) time at the Meat Market, North Melbourne, which will also be livestreamed online.
To register in advance for the Annual General Meeting: Register here for online attendance. If you wish to attend in person, please fill out the RSVP form here.
After registering, we will check your details against our membership database.*
Important note: Make sure your full name and email address correspond with our database.
View attached PDFs:
- the notice of Annual General Meeting (PDF) | Watch the Auslan video above or on Vimeo
- the agenda for this meeting (PDF)
- the minutes of the last AGM (PDF)
- the minutes of the last SGM (PDF)
- the Annual Report (PDF)
- the Audited financial report (PDF)
- the new Constitution (PDF)
Q&A evening – 17th November 2023Deaf Australia will also run a Q&A evening on the 17th November 2023 at 6pm Melbourne/Sydney time where members will have the opportunity to get clarification or ask questions about our new constitution. Please register here.
Important dates deadline:
- Submit Board of Director nomination forms by Sunday, 5 November 2023;
- Propose your meeting agenda item/s by Sunday, 5 November 2023;
- Submit Apology and Proxy form by Sunday, 12 November 2023;
- Deaf Australia Awards 2023 Nominations by Sunday, 5 November 2023;
Quick Links:
*Note: Members of the public that are not DA members may join us at the in-person event in Melbourne or watch online via FB Livestream (not the Zoom meeting). However, they cannot vote or participate in matters of governance.
Shirley Acting CEO Update
Transcript
Hello! My name is Shirley. My role is Community and Youth Adovcate. I know it’s been awhile since we’ve had a CEO update. Our CEO, Jen Blyth, is currently away on holidays enjoying her break. Now, I will summarise a few important messages that the Deaf community should know about.
We are very excited and have been working hard to prepare the Dot Shaw Young Writers Competition. It’s already launched and live! We are so excited for schools, Deaf Children and Deaf students to be able to get involved in the competition. It’s a really fantastic competition and we are so excited to see lots of beautiful different ideas come in. You can see more information on our website. Have a look there, you can see the theme. Plus the prizes and our sponsor, which will be announced soon.
Also, we want to acknowledge the community members who are little bit concerned and excited about the referendum that the Australian government announced will be on 14 October. Deaf Australia has had many discussions and there are people who are unsure about what voting yes or no means, how yes or no will impact us, and what is the information. It’s not very clear. They also want to know where they can go and how they can access that information. We at Deaf Australia have been working diligently to be able to provide balanced non-biased factual information, to make sure the Deaf community can make an informed decision before they vote in the referendum. We will be sharing further updates soon.
Lastly, we are very excited about the National Week of Deaf People (NWDP) which is coming up soon in September. We are also preparing and have information about the themes. We have a logo you can download and use on your events. Please let us know, we can share your events on our website, too. We also have a couple of things in the works that we are preparing so please watch this space.
Whew that’s a lot happening recently!
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us and we will try our best to respond to you. Thank you.
Visual descriptions
Opening slide: Opening slide features white Deaf Australia logo on a blue and green gradient background. Text reads "Acting CEO Update. Published 1 September 2023."
Video: Shirley is a light-skinned Asian person with dark hair. She is wearing her hair tied back and has a dark maroon coloured jumper on. The wall behind her is plain and beige. She is signing in a professional and friendly manner towards the camera.
Closing slide: Graphic features white Deaf Australia logo on a green and blue gradient background. Text reads “Deaf Australia is a Deaf-leg advocacy and information organisation in Australia representing all Deaf, Deafblind, and hard-of-hearing people and others who use Auslan (Australian Sign Language) as their language of preference. Contact us: [email icon] [email protected], [website icon] www.deafaustralia.org.au, [Instagram and Twitter icons] @deafaustralia, [Facebook icon] DeafAustraliaInc”
New ABC article about the Voice referendum
First Nations man Leslie is Deaf. He only found out about the Voice referendum because of a T-shirt
Update from DA board member Kai regarding WFD 2027 Congress location
Transcript
On 12th July, following the completion of the 2023 WFD Congress in South Korea, Deaf Australia would like to provide you with a follow-up update regarding the outcomes arising from the video released about the winning bid for the UAE to host the next WFD Congress in 2027.
Deaf Australia, along with 21 other countries, submitted a motion to call for an EGA (Extraordinary General Assembly) to address concerns related to the upcoming congress. The intention behind this motion is not to withdraw the hosting rights from the UAE but rather to ensure that no discrimination towards LGBTIQA+ people occur, and that freedom of speech is safeguarded during the event.
WFD has formally sent through an acknowledgement and receipt of this motion and has informed their members that the motion has been added to their next Board meeting agenda. We do not know when this board meeting is, but the Board has announced that they will provide updates to us in August about how they plan to proceed with the hosting of the EGA.
Normally, at the closing ceremony of the WFD Congress, the flag is handed over to the next hosting country. However, this did not happen, and we, Australia, are not happy about this. We think that the flag presentation should have happened, and normal processes should have happened while these issues were being resolved.
We are aware of another motion from 21 other countries who oppose the motion for an EGA. Their motion includes very valid points about not creating a divide between Deaf people and communities, and the democracy processes being upheld; and stresses the importance of respecting diverse customs, laws and values across different nations. We agree with these points, however we want to ensure that ALL Deaf people, whatever their identity is, can participate freely and as little or much as they want to.
When we receive more information, we will update you. Thank you.
Visual description
Opening slide: Graphic features white Deaf Australia logo on a blue and green gradient background. Text reads “Published 31 July 2023. Update from DA Board Member Kai Regarding WFD 2027 Congress Location.”
Video: Kai is wearing a black t-shirt, has short dark hair, and is standing against a grey background. He is signing with a clear and open manner towards the camera.
Closing slide: Graphic features white Deaf Australia logo on a green and blue gradient background. Text reads “Deaf Australia is a Deaf-leg advocacy and information organisation in Australia representing all Deaf, Deafblind, and hard-of-hearing people and others who use Auslan (Australian Sign Language) as their language of preference. Contact us: [email icon] [email protected], [website icon] www.deafaustralia.org.au, [Instagram and Twitter icons] @deafaustralia, [Facebook icon] DeafAustraliaInc”
WFD Board Nominee Announcement – May 2023
Transcript
Hi, I'm Jen, CEO of Deaf Australia. Deaf Australia is a member of the World Federation of the Deaf. WFD is an international organisation that advocates on a global level to the United Nations for issues that relate to the Deaf community, which also results in influencing other countries across the globe. They are our parent body, and we are a member.
In July, in South Korea the WFD is holding its next congress. It is held every four years in which people across the world get together to discuss different topics. Before the WFD Congress there is the the World Federation of the Deaf Youth Section, WFDYS, where Deaf Australia’s very own staff member, Shirley Liu is the current board president. Her term on the board will be finishing up this July.
The Congress itself includes opportunities to attend presentations and networking events. I will be attending alongside Deaf Australia’s Board chairperson Debra Swann to represent Deaf Australia at the general meeting, where we will vote on various issues and vote on where the next conference will be held in four years’ time along with other things. Additionally, the Board farewells and welcomes new board members every 4 years at the congress. Some people may also continue serving on the WFD board.
I wanted to let you all know that on behalf of Deaf Australia, I have put forward a nominee for the WFD Board and that person is Shirley Liu. Deaf Australia called for an expression of interest across Australia for volunteers to put their hand up for the WFD board. Shirley was one of the applicants who had put herself forward, and that application then went through our board’s process and with that being successful, we have now put forward Shirley Liu as a nominee for the WFD Board.
We wish Shirley all the best in this endeavour and hope for her successful appointment in Korea. We will let you know the outcome once voting has occurred in July. I know that they will see what fantastic work she has done for the WFDYS and see what an asset she would be to the WFD board. It is a competitive process, fingers crossed. Thank you.
Visual description
Visual description opening slide:
Background is a blue and green gradient with white Deaf Australia logo at the top center. The main title is blue text in a white button that reads “WFD Board Nominee Announcement”. Below the button is small white text that reads “May 2023”.
Visual description video:
Jen is signing in this video a message to the viewer. She is wearing a grey cardigan and a black t-shirt with her sign name illustration on it. She is sitting on a beige couch with a light beige wall behind her. She has curly red hair, light skin, and wears clear-rimmed glasses. She is signing in a professional and happy manner.
Visual description closing slide:
Graphic features white Deaf Australia logo on a green and blue gradient background. Text reads “Deaf Australia is a Deaf-leg advocacy and information organisation in Australia representing all Deaf, Deafblind, and hard-of-hearing people and others who use Auslan (Australian Sign Language) as their language of preference. Contact us: [email icon] [email protected], [website icon] www.deafaustralia.org.au, [Instagram and Twitter icons] @deafaustralia, [Facebook icon] DeafAustraliaInc”