Category: Media Release
Public Announcement – 19 March 2021
Deaf Australia Chief Executive Kyle Miers Moves On
Kyle Miers, Chief Executive of Deaf Australia, has submitted his resignation to the Board of Deaf Australia. Kyle is leaving Deaf Australia to lead a new service. His last day at Deaf Australia is Friday 9 April 2021.
Kyle was appointed as Chief Executive of Deaf Australia in 2014. He previously served on Deaf Australia’s Board between 2002 and 2011, including as President between 2005 and 2010.
“The opportunity to serve and lead Deaf Australia during a dynamic time at the organisation has been a highlight of my career,’ said Mr Miers. “Because Deaf Australia is a true consumer organisation where deaf people represent deaf people, we have been able to effectively gain prominence and recognition of deaf people’s issues and our organisation to Australian governments, members of the deaf community and service providers.”
During his tenure with Deaf Australia, Kyle has advocated for and achieved the following:
- Inclusion of ‘Auslan’ as a language prompt in the Census 2021. This prompt will encourage Auslan users to write Auslan as a language used at home and will provide us and the Australian government with accurate information on the population of Auslan users in Australia.
- Communicated with Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments on the importance of accessible television announcements for emergency and disaster broadcasts, which resulted in ongoing provision of interpreters on television during these announcements.
- Provided advice to Department of Social Services to effectively communicate with deaf people in the transitioning of the National Auslan Booking and Payment Services (NABS) into the NDIS.
- Worked with Western Australian and Victorian Governments to amend their Jury Acts to allow deaf people to serve as jurors, as a result of a successful campaign in the Australian Capital Territory.
- Worked with South Australian and New South Wales Governments in their reviews of education for deaf and hard of hearing children with a view to improved quality in education.
- Successfully lodged a proposal that the World Federation of the Deaf adopt our Sign Symbol as the International Symbol for Sign Language.
- Prepared an extensive ‘Community of Practice’ Report for the NDIS that covers all areas of supports and needs for deaf and hard of hearing people.
- Worked to ensure federal and state/territory elections would be accessible with the provision of interpreters at pre-polling booths.
Kyle has provided strong leadership for the organisation and created common ground for collaboration between government agencies and the community, particularly during the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the COVID -19 pandemic.
“We have taken our responsibility for deaf people’s rights to have to access to information and accessible communication seriously, and much of our time has been focussed on how we can address and improve services to meet these needs,” Mr Miers said.
At the beginning of his tenure, Kyle was faced with a significant financial challenge when the Australian Government slashed recurrent funding for national information and advocacy services. This saw a reduction in staff and a threat to Deaf Australia’s sustainability.
With the support of the Board, Kyle has been able to diversify sources of funding and has implemented new organisational strategies. This saw Deaf Australia’s funding grow from a bare $27,500 per annum to $900,000 per annum for the next couple years.
“On behalf of the Deaf Australia Board, I have had the pleasure of working with Kyle during his tenure with Deaf Australia. He has been a champion advocate and an effective leader for the deaf community,” said Ms Debra Swann, Chairperson of Deaf Australia. “Kyle will leave a big hole in Deaf Australia; however, I believe that his legacy will carry on for years.”
Kyle migrated from the United States in 1995, having grown up in residential schools for the deaf where he was educated by teachers who all used American Sign Language (ASL). He brought his experience and passion for deaf rights to the Australian Deaf Community.
He was a founding member of Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO), Australian Communication Consumers Action Network (ACCAN) and the World Federation of the Deaf – Oceania.
He also served on a number of national disability advisory groups: Australian Electoral Commission, Early Intervention and Childhood Development, Disability Employment, NDIS’s CEO Forum, Department of Social Services’ Disability Gateway, Australian Communication Consumers Action Network and others. On all of these, his purpose was to improve quality, support and services for deaf and hard of hearing people.
On behalf of Deaf Australia Board, we wish Kyle all the best in his future endeavours and we thank him for all his hard work for the Australian Deaf Community.
Download Public Announcement
New Organisation Logo

14 September 2020
Deaf Australia is launching a new logo to signify our core value and belief that sign language is a fundamental human right for deaf and hard of hearing people.
Recently we reviewed our organisational capacity and current funding structure, our relationship with stakeholders, our public and community profile, and we decided to change our logo to better reflect who we are now.
Deaf Australia is renewing our focus towards promoting and recognising the rights for deaf and hard of hearing people to use and access sign languages; to strengthen deaf and hard of hearing people to be empowered through effective supports and resources; and to promote providers in catering the needs of deaf and hard of hearing people so that everyone can play an important role in the community.
In the previous year, Auslan has gained prominence through high profile partnerships with Huawei/StorySign and Canberra Raiders, the first Auslan presentation at the National Press Club in its entirety, and constant exposure of Auslan interpreters on broadcast networks and social media.
As many as 25,000 primary and secondary students across Australia are learning Auslan through the National Language Curriculum program.
The Census 2021 survey will include ‘Auslan’ as a language prompt for the first time which will provide us with better data which will help us identify what work needs to be done to fully realise the potential of deaf people.
In addition, some Aboriginal Sign Languages have also gained prominence in recent research publications showing the importance of sign language with the development of community and cultural identity, which is the fundamental human right that is enshrined in the United Nations Human Rights Charter.
Deaf Australia has directly and indirectly contributed to all these and innumerable other achievements.
Our new logo is a testament of who we are, what we have accomplished, and what we aspire to achieve.
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Media Release – Deaf Seniors to Access Aged Care Services with Auslan Assistance
Deaf seniors over 65 years of age can finally access Auslan supported services with the Aged Care Services.
Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck, Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, has announced yesterday that a free sign language interpreting services will soon be available for seniors who are deaf and deafblind or hard of hearing and allow them to access appropriate assistance to aged care services.
Deaf Australia is pleased that the Government has ‘heard’ the call from the deaf community, including the Australian Deaf Elders, to fill the gap with the existing services that leave deaf seniors vulnerable and at risk of negligence.
Auslan (Australian Sign Language) is the primary or preferred language of many sign language users and rely on Auslan to gain information and make informed decisions that otherwise cannot be acquired without Auslan service.
‘This comprehensive new sign language interpreting service will make our aged care system far more accessible for people who are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing’, said Minister Colbeck.
Auslan Connections will be responsible to provide interpreting services for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing seniors to access aged care services.
Additional Information:
National Auslan Booking Services (NABS) will continue to be provided to non-registered National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants until 31 March 2021 to access interpreting assistance for private medical appointments. From 1 April 2021, this service will be available only for seniors over 65 and/or who are ineligible for NDIS.
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Media Release – Census 2021
MAJOR WIN FOR THE DEAF COMMUNITY
For the first time, the National 2021 Census will refer to ‘Auslan’ as a language option. This is a major win for the Deaf Community in their struggle to have Auslan users recognised in the population. Deaf Australia has been working with the Australian Bureau of Statistics since 2007 to address the issue of adding ‘Auslan’ as one of the language options.
Deaf Australia had attempted to amend the 2011 and 2016 Censuses without success. The Deaf Community conducted massive campaigns for its members to write down ‘Auslan’ in the ‘If other, please write’ option in both Censuses. Despite this, Deaf Australia views that previous data collected is not reflective of the actual numbers of Auslan users in Australia. This was due to the limited reach of the campaigns and many Auslan users still unaware they could write it as an ‘other’ language.
The National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreting has stated that Auslan interpreting is third highest language provision behind Arabic and Mandarin (Chinese) languages in Australia. Despite this – and based on the Census 2016 – Auslan is ranked 44th as an ‘other’ language and as such does not warrant a significant profile as the top 5 languages.
Statistics show Auslan was first recorded in the 2001 Census. Since then, every Census has noted a significant increase of Auslan users. In 2001 Auslan users numbered 5,306. This increased to 11,682 in 2016.
In the 2021 Census, the question asking ‘Does (person) use a language other than English at home? the prompt question in the ‘other language’ will state, “If other, for example, Auslan, please write here’.
Speaking about the Census 2021 new language option, Deaf Australia Chairperson, Todd Wright, said,
‘The inclusion of “Auslan” as a prompt in the ‘other’ language option is a significant win for the Deaf Community. This will make it easier for us to determine more accurately the number of Auslan users in Australia enabling us to work more effectively towards greater participation, awareness and addressing the community’s needs.’
Open Letter to the National Cabinet
We are a diverse range of organisations from across Australia, representing the interests of people with disability, their families, carers and support persons. Collectively, we have significant, direct and growing knowledge of the impact of Coronavirus (COVID19) on people with disability in Australia.
Australians with disability represent some of the most excluded of all Australians in relation to the impacts of Coronavirus. Our needs remain largely forgotten as evidenced by the fact that people with disability are rarely if ever, mentioned in any press conference, media release or government conversation about Coronavirus. The national discourse relating to Coronavirus is inherently ableist – preferencing able-bodied people as the norm. This ableist discourse is resulting in the exclusion of people with disability in efforts to prevent the spread of and address, the impact of the Coronavirus.
We are deeply concerned by the lack of specific and targeted measures from Australian Governments to proactively protect and support people with disability, their families, carers and support persons from the impact of COVID19.
We call on all Australian Governments to take the following URGENT actions to protect the lives of Australians with disability in the context of COVID19:
- Guarantee continuity of supports for all people with disability
- Expand criteria for COVID19 testing to include people with disability and their support persons.
- Urgently improve information and communications to be inclusive of all people with disability.
- Take measures to remove the barriers to adequate healthcare for people with disability.
- Include recipients of the Disability Support Pension (DSP) in the Coronavirus Supplement of $550 per fortnight.
- Urgently define what constitutes an ‘essential service’ for people with disability.
- Ensure effective measures are in place to recognise and respond to violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect of people with disability.
- Prevent discrimination of students with disability in the provision of education.
- Ensure the human rights of people with disability in congregate and other settings are upheld.
- Adequately resource Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPOs) and Disability Representative Organisations (DROs) to enable support of, and advocacy for, people with disability.
To view the full Open Letter (Easy Read)
Supporting Disability Organisations
First Peoples Disability Network
Women with Disabilities Australia
People with Disability Australia
National Ethnic Disability Alliance
Children and Young People with Disability Australia
Australian Federation of Disability Organisations
Disability Advocacy Network Australia
Deaf Australia
Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia
Deafblind Australia
Deafness Forum of Australia
Brain Injury Australia
Inclusion Australia
Blind Citizens Australia
Down Syndrome Australia
Physical Disability Australia
Every Australian Counts
Disability Resources Centre Advocacy
Ideas
Disability Justice Australia
Enhanced Lifestyles
National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum
Imagine More
Advocacy Western Australia
Midland Information Debt and Legal Advocacy Service
Melbourne East Disability Advocacy
Queensland Advocacy Incorporated
Family Advocacy
Grampians Disability Advocacy
Syndromes Without A Name
Advocacy Tasmania
Southwest Advocacy Association
Victorian Rural Advocacy Network
Assert 4 All
Colac Otway Region Advocacy Service
Disability Information and Advocacy Service
Gipplsland Disability Advocacy
Community Resource Unit
AED Legal Centre
ANTaR
Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health
People with Disabilities Western Australia
Association for Children with Disability Tasmania
Association for Children with a Disability Victoria
All Means All
Queensland Collective for Inclusive Education
Southern Disability Advocacy
Rights Information and Advocacy Centre
Regional Disability Advocacy Service
Youth Disability Advocacy Service
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services
Spinal Cord Injuries Australia
Barwon Disability Resource Council
North East Citizen Advocacy
Julia Farr Youth
Leadership Plus
VALID
Women with Disabilities Victoria
Citizens Advocacy Perth West
Speakout Advocacy
Developmental Disability WA
Women with Disabilities ACT
Council for Intellectual Disability
Citizen Advocacy Sunbury
South Australian Council on Intellectual Disability
Parent to Parent Queensland
People with Disabilities ACT
Aspergers Victoria
Disability Advocacy and Complaints Service of South Australia
Disability Advocacy Victoria
Media Release – Deaf Acknowledgement
We acknowledge and respect the members of the Deaf Community in Australia, who preserve their rich heritage, culture and our language; Auslan (Australian Sign Language). We also acknowledge our custodians of Auslan, promoting awareness, equality and access through our sign language. Through Auslan, we inspire future leaders in our deaf community to continue our legacy and heritage.
The Deaf Community in Australia has sought to gain recognition and acknowledgement for their key role in the community for preserving, promoting and inspiring the culture, language and identities of deaf people.
Deaf people are present in every culture and society including Indigenous Australians who had well-developed sign systems before the European Settlement. The first recorded deaf European-born migrant in Australia is Elizabeth (Betty) Steel who arrived on the Second Fleet as a convict in 1790.
Since then, there have been many Australians, including Aboriginals and migrants, who have contributed in every fabric of the Australian society, making Australia one of the most diverse nations in the world.
Through deaf people, many businesses prospered and reaped financially and economically. Through deaf people, many services sought and lobbied by and for deaf people also benefited the rest of the Australian community and more. Through deaf people, they have raised awareness of the value of their community, their sense of belonging and identity, and their quest for life, pursuing opportunities, self-determination and appealing for a “fair-go” in the wider community and between themselves.
‘The statement acknowledges and respects the past and present members of the deaf community who have and will, in many ways, endures the legacy of the Deaf Community and marks the importance of dignity, self-worth and identity’, said Mr Todd Wright, Chairperson of Deaf Australia.
The members of the Deaf Community formally endorsed this Deaf Acknowledgement statement at the Annual General Meeting for Deaf Australia in 2018.
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