News

We’re so excited that Sign of the Times is back for the first time since 2023!

In this video, our manager Philip shares why this year’s event will be extra special, featuring four amazing presenters ready to inspire you with tips on motivation, intention setting, and time ...management.

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and enjoy a great Sunday with the Deaf community.

🎟️ Grab your tickets here! https://events.humanitix.com/17th-sign-of-the-times-mid-march-kickstart

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We are proudly delivering projects for the Peer Support and Capacity Building (PSCB) grant for the NDIS.

I was at Frankston Hospital today. A deaf person had many issues there and the hospital were ignoring her complaints, but when I contacted them, the senior management responded quickly and met with us. We were able to get them to make changes to improve the hospital and we will continue to work ...with them. If you need support for your bad hospital experiences, contact us!

17th Sign of the Times 2026 presenter reveal: Irene Holub ✨

Irene is a Deaf CALD multidisciplinary artist, yogini, filmmaker, therapist, advocate and founder of Auslansoul whose work explores human connection through Deaf culture, deaf spaces and lived experience. Grounded in disability ...justice and “nothing about us without us,” she champions Deaf leadership, arts and community wellbeing.

We look forward to her presentation, "What gets you out of bed in the morning?"

What gets you out of bed in the morning? Alarm clock, breakfast, work, kids, duties, etc - we have many reasons. Yet when do we follow our inner self to trust, initiate, and lead ourselves? What is the inner self, and why is this so important, especially in our current world of distractions and influences? In this presentation, Irene will talk about the power of connecting with our inner selves.

🎟️ Tickets now available. Don't miss out and grab yours here: https://events.humanitix.com/17th-sign-of-the-times-mid-march-kickstart

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We are proudly delivering projects for the Peer Support and Capacity Building (PSCB) grant for the NDIS.

17th Sign of the Times 2026 presenter reveal: James Blyth ✨

James Blyth is the Managing Director of Auslan Consultancy and a proud Deaf business owner.

In “Más Tarde Cancelled”, James shares his journey from chronic procrastinator to running a national Deaf-led company. ...Once known for saying “later, later” to almost everything, he now lives by structure, deadlines, and self-discipline. Through honest stories and humour, James explores growth, accountability, and what changes when you realise no one else is coming to do the work for you.

🎟️ Tickets now available - grab yours here: https://events.humanitix.com/17th-sign-of-the-times-mid-march-kickstart

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We are proudly delivering projects for the Peer Support and Capacity Building (PSCB) grant for the NDIS.

Presenter reveal: Ashleigh Wallach ✨
We're excited to introduce another incredible presenter for the 17th Sign of the Times, 2026!

Ashleigh is a private practice psychologist with lived experience of deafness since birth, who works with Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and hearing ...clients in Auslan and English, and brings warmth, care, and evidence-based practice to her work.

We’re glad to have her join us and co-present with Sonia Pivac, bringing a psychological perspective to Sonia’s presentation, "Do. Choose. How You Use Time", a practical session on exploring time, attention, and intentional living. Watch this space for more presenter reveals coming soon!

🎟️ Tickets now available. Don't miss out and grab yours here: https://events.humanitix.com/17th-sign-of-the-times-mid-march-kickstart

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We are proudly delivering projects for the Peer Support and Capacity Building (PSCB) grant for the NDIS.

Now going to meet MP Paul Edbrooke to discuss deaf issues at Victorian Parliament.

Presenter reveal: Sonia Pivac ✨

We’re thrilled to announce our main presenter of the 17th Sign of the Times, 2026!

Sonia is a native sign language user based in Aotearoa New Zealand. She has worked across Deaf community spaces, government, and organisations for many years, ...and has run Deafradio for nearly two decades alongside a range of community-focused projects. Sonia is in Naarm for a family wedding and promises to make your Sunday more interesting than scrolling on your phone.

Sonia's presentation title will be "Do. Choose. How You Use Time." - a practical session exploring time, attention, and intentional living. Sonia is co-presenting with another special guest, to be announced soon. Stay tuned for more presenter reveals!

🎟️ Tickets now available - get yours ASAP here: https://events.humanitix.com/17th-sign-of-the-times-mid-march-kickstart

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We are proudly delivering projects for the Peer Support and Capacity Building (PSCB) grant for the NDIS.

Tickets are now available for our 17th Sign of the Times event! 🎉

Sign of the Times, on 15 March, is a special day for our Deaf community to come together, learn, share stories, reflect, and take action. Join us for motivating and energising conversations that will help kick‑start ...your goals for 2026.

Stay tuned! We will start sharing our presenters next week 👀
🎟️ Get your tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/17th-sign-of-the-times-mid-march-kickstart

P.S. Members of Deaf Victoria get a discount on event tickets.
👉 Want to become a member? Join here: https://deafvictoria.org.au/about-us/membership

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We are proudly delivering projects for the Peer Support and Capacity Building (PSCB) grant for the NDIS.

🧡 Happy Valentines Day from Deaf Victoria ❤️

Relationships can be hard to understand and manage. We’ve also seen that there aren’t many well-known resources in the Deaf community about how to recognise unhealthy relationships, how to leave them safely, or what healthy ...relationships should look like. Deaf people and people with disability are also at higher risk of experiencing abuse than hearing, able‑bodied people.
That’s why we have created a new page with deaf-friendly information and resources to help you learn about these topics.

🔗 You can find it here: https://deafvictoria.org.au/resources-topics/love-and-relationships/

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We are proudly delivering projects for the Peer Support and Capacity Building (PSCB) grant for the NDIS.

VICTORIA, we want YOU!

The Australian Deaf Games are coming up in July 2026 on the beautiful Sunshine Coast, Queensland. There's something for everyone, whether you’re into outdoor sports (surfing, beach volleyball, sailing), something with a bit or rough and tumble (football, ...soccer, rugby), or indoor favourites (chess, table tennis, cricket).
Register now or see the wide list of sports you can partake in at https://austdeafgames.org.au/ or contact adgvicteam@gmail.com for more information. This incredible event is not to be missed!☀️

Reposted from @deafsportsvic

Thinking about plaing a sport at the Australian Deaf Games? Or not! Does not matter, we encourage you to consider going to the Games in Sunshine Coast from 4 July!

The next state election for Victoria will be in November 2026. The Victorian Parliament is now inviting people with disability to tell them about their experience at voting centres for state elections. What worked well, what didn't, and what could be improved? They are interested in ...understanding:

1. What assistance should staff offer people with disability?

2. What should be considered when choosing venues for voting?

3. How else can voting centres be made more accessible?

You can send a written submission or video recording here: www.parliament.vic.gov.au/voting-centre-accessibility (Facebook)

Submissions close on 20th of February.

Video reposted from @victorianparliament

Meet the creative and talented Artists and Artisans!

Come and explore their work at our exhibition:
📍 The Ballarat Library
178 Doveton Street North
Ballarat VIC

📅 Official Launch:
21 February at 10:30am

The exhibition will remain open for a few weeks... after the launch, with the closing date to be confirmed soon. RSVP by emailing Gary.Kerridge@deafvictoria.org.au

See you there!

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We are proudly delivering projects for the Peer Support and Capacity Building (PSCB) grant for the NDIS.

Please join us in congratulating the new Committee! Thank you for all you do to support deaf seniors!

Ballarat Local Deaf Artists and Artisans Exhibition:
Celebrate creativity, culture, and community at the Local Deaf Artists and Artisans Exhibition official launch. Attend a vibrant showcase of works created by talented Deaf artists in and around Ballarat, including Selwyn Hoffman, Chelle ...Destefano, Lisa Taylor, Amanda Care, Irene Holub and Marjorie O'Donnell.

🗓 Saturday, 21 February 2026, 10:30 am-12:00 pm
📍 Ballarat Library,
178 Doveton St Nth,
Ballarat VIC 3350

✉️ RSVP: Email gary.kerridge@deafvictoria.org.au

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We are proudly delivering projects for the Peer Support and Capacity Building (PSCB) grant for the NDIS.

Ballarat Local Deaf Artists and Artisans Exhibition:
Celebrate creativity, culture, and community at the Local Deaf Artists and Artisans Exhibition official launch. Attend a vibrant showcase of works created by talented Deaf artists in and around Ballarat, including Selwyn Hoffman, Chelle ...Destefano, Lisa Taylor, Amanda Care, Irene Holub and Marjorie O'Donnell.
🗓 Saturday, 21 February 2026, 10:30 am-12:00 pm

📍 Ballarat Library,
178 Doveton St Nth,
Ballarat VIC 3350
✉️ RSVP: Email gary.kerridge@deafvictoria.org.au

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We are proudly delivering projects for the Peer Support and Capacity Building (PSCB) grant for the NDIS.