National Deaf Week celebrated with Gosford event

The Central Coast deaf community is celebrating National Week of Deaf People and as part of the celebrations, Deaf Connect will host a deaf-led art tour and picnic at Gosford Regional Gallery on October 11 between 11am and 1.30pm.

The event is especially for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing people and is part of a national celebration of deaf individuals and the Australian deaf community.

To mark the important week, Deaf Connect released a landmark report titled Deaf Space and will be hosting 16 Deaf Space events across Australia, including the Gosford event.

The event will give participants a chance to meet the local deaf community and experience deaf culture in an inclusive environment.

Deaf Connect CEO Brett Casey said Deaf Connect was proud to celebrate National Week of Deaf People 2025, with the Deaf Space report honouring this year’s theme: No Human Rights without Sign Language Rights.

“This National Week of Deaf People, we’re excited to bring our community together through a series of events across the country,” Casey said.

“These gatherings give deaf people, allies, and the wider public the chance to connect in an inclusive Deaf Space.

“The Deaf Space Report examines the lived experiences of deaf Australians across a wide range of social, religious, economic, and cultural contexts.

“It is the first of its kind to document the spaces that deaf people in Australia have created over time, including deaf First Nations, deaf LGBTQI+, deafblind, deaf disabled and numerous other diverse groups.

“By showing how communities have formed around visual communication and deaf identity, it offers practical guidance to ensure deaf accessibility in all aspects of public life.

“National Week of Deaf People is an opportunity for all Australians to reflect on what our public services, business and communities could be doing to contribute towards a more inclusive nation.

“Whether that’s ensuring your business is accessible to deaf customers, designing buildings to be deaf inclusive, or connecting with the deaf community in a space where everyone belongs.”

He said most spaces are built for hearing people, by hearing people.

“We have released a report during the National Week of Deaf People which is the first of its kind to offer practical guidance on how to make environments accessible to everyone, whether that’s in the classroom, in the office, or at a café,” he said.

Casey is a deaf community member and has led Deaf Connect as CEO for more than 15 years.

With a background in strategic and policy advice, he is recognised as a thought leader in the deaf sector and has been admitted as a lawyer to the Supreme Court of Queensland.