Understanding the Deaf Community

Hands moving. Eyes focused. A room full of students learning to communicate in a new way.

As part of their Duke of Edinburgh elective, Disability in the Real World with Flying Fox, a group of Year 9 students visited Expressions Australia to learn directly from members of the Deaf community. Their guide for the day, Joanne, led the tour alongside her interpreter Alex, sharing insights into Deaf culture and everyday experiences.

Students practised Auslan by learning the alphabet and simple phrases, before finishing the session with an open Q&A where Joanne spoke about the challenges of navigating a world not always designed with Deaf people in mind. The experience highlighted how small changes - such as captions on videos or visual fire alarms - can make a meaningful difference.

A lip‑reading challenge quickly became the surprise highlight of the day. Students were confident they’d be naturals. They were not.

The visit offered a powerful reminder that understanding and inclusion often begin with listening, learning, and seeing the world through someone else’s perspective.