Deaf Australians may soon lose access to the nation’s only news bulletin delivered in Auslan (Australian Sign Language), according to Deaf Connect.
The organisation is calling on the Federal Government to continue funding the Auslan90 news service, which, without investment, will conclude in its pilot form on 30 June 2026.
Deaf Connect representatives including CEO Mr Brett Casey, chief services officer Mr Brent Phillips and members of the Auslan90 team, are attending Parliament House in Canberra this week to provide briefs on the program’s impact and the urgent need for continued funding to secure its long-term future.
Casey, Phillips and the Auslan90 team gave a presentation on the program and taught a few Auslan signs to 20 Caucus members on 10 March 2026. The politicians also received a finger-spelling alphabet lesson and resource and are now more equipped to communicate with Deaf voters.
Phillips said Deaf Connect had lodged its pre-budget submission with the Federal Government, in the hopes of saving 30,000 Deaf Australians from losing access to news in their first language.
“Auslan90 fills a longstanding gap in Australia’s media landscape by providing Deaf Australians with direct access to timely, independent, public-interest journalism in Auslan,” he said.
“The Federal Government already funds news in over 60 spoken languages – the same principle should apply to Auslan users.
“Each weekday, a nationally distributed Auslan video bulletin is produced covering key headlines from the previous 24-hour news cycle, complemented by weekly in-depth analysis on a range of core national and international topics.”
Phillips said that without a commitment from the Federal Government, Deaf Australians would once again be excluded from the daily cycle of current affairs and crucial issues that shaped their participation as equal members of society.
Value for money
He said Auslan90 had reached more than 300,000 Australians since its inception in September 2024.
“Funded initially through the Commonwealth Information, Linkages and Capacity Building program, our Deaf-led newsroom has produced 429 Auslan news bulletins since 2024,” he said.
“Independent modelling shows Auslan90 generates $3.47 million in combined economic and social value each year – an estimated 5.3 to 1 return on investment.
“That value comes through employment, productivity, improved information access, and broader public benefit. It is a modest investment with measurable and significant national impact.”
Phillips said ongoing funding would align directly with national government priorities in accessibility, media diversity, and equitable access to public information.
“By securing Auslan90, the government can embed accessible journalism as a permanent feature of Australia’s media landscape,” he said.
“It ensures Deaf Australians remain informed, represented and included in the national conversation, while recognising Auslan as a valued and integral part of Australia’s linguistic and cultural identity.
“This is an opportunity to lead and protect a service already delivering exceptional results.”=
Deaf Connect said it remained open to bipartisan support to ensure the program’s continuation.
The Federal Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing funds the news service which Deaf Connect delivers in partnership with SBS.
The daily 90-second news delivers top stories entirely in Auslan every weekday at 1pm AEST on Deaf Connect’s Youtube. It uses a “transcreation” method for accurate, culturally relevant information and features weekly “deep dive” videos of three to four minutes.
Deaf Connect is a national not-for-profit organisation for Deaf Australians and those who communicate in Auslan. It is also Australia’s largest employer of Deaf people and a national leader in Auslan interpreting and sign language education through its Registered Training Organisation.
Its work is supported by fundraising generated through the Deaf Lottery.
