Auslan Corporation Ltd

What Auslan Corporation Ltd does

Auslan Corporation Ltd, operating publicly as Deaf Australia, is a Deaf-led nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 1986 (originally as the Australian Association of the Deaf) and headquartered in Blackburn with a secondary site in Doonside. It serves the Australian Auslan-using community through a combination of policy advocacy, recognized representation as a federal Disability Representative Organisation (DRO), and an expanding set of community-facing services and products. Its core offerings include a free eLearning platform (learn.deafaustralia.org.au), the Auslan Shop e-commerce store, the multi-module AIDE (Accessibility & Inclusion) Toolkit covering Education, Employment, Health, Language, and Services, a tiered membership program, and the "Our Deaf Ways" podcast produced in partnership with SBS.

The organization also produced the Deaf Census 2022, described as the world's first Deaf-led census, generating proprietary demographic data on the Australian Deaf community. Revenue is sourced from low-cost individual membership fees ($5-$50/year), donations, and government grants primarily channeled through the Information, Linkages and Capacity-Building (ILC) program and the Department of Social Services (DSS). A material 2026-27 Federal Budget outcome committed $5 million per year for three years to fund a 24/7 Video Relay Service. Technology operations run on commodity SaaS (WordPress, Stripe, Sendle, Join It) with no disclosed AI/ML capability.

Name

Auslan Corporation Ltd

Legal name

Deaf Australia

Website

https://deafaustralia.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Deaf Australia, operating as Auslan Corporation Ltd, is a Deaf-led nonprofit advocacy organization representing Australian Sign Language users, operating a free eLearning platform, Auslan Shop e-commerce store, AIDE Toolkit, and national membership program to advance Deaf rights.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Advocacy Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Translation and Interpretation Services (541930)

akta.pro primary industry

Note-Taking, Interpreting & Communication Access Services (EDALAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Assistive Technology (AT) & Accessible Learning Tools (EDALAGAB), Academic Accommodations & Access Planning (ADA/504) (EDALAGAA), Deaf/Hard of Hearing & Vision Services (Audiology, Interpreting, Orientation & Mobility) (EDAJAKAI)

Keywords

• Deaf advocacy services
• Auslan community resources
• Disability representative organisation
• Accessibility inclusion toolkit
• Sign language education

Headquarters

HQ city

Blackburn

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees with multiple tiers including Ordinary & Associate ($50/year), Concession & Student ($25/year), Under 18 ($5/year), and Corporate membership available via email request.
2. Auslan Shop Sales: E-commerce sales of Deaf-related products including books, DVDs, and other materials. Ships within Australia via Sendle and Australia Post. Accepts NDIS plan managed/self-managed payments.
3. Donations: Accepts donations through Givenow platform to support advocacy work and organizational vision.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Deaf Australia (operating under Auslan Corporation Ltd) is the Deaf-led national body representing Auslan users in Australia and the country's recognised Disability Representative Organisation. It delivers systemic advocacy to government and service providers, a free WordPress-based eLearning platform with Auslan courses, the AIDE Accessibility and Inclusion Toolkit grounded in a national Deaf Census, an Auslan Shop e-commerce store, and a tiered membership program for the Deaf community, families, and corporate supporters.

Product overview

Deaf Australia operates a multi-product portfolio centered on advocacy, education, and community empowerment for the Australian Deaf community. The core offerings include an eLearning Platform (learn.deafaustralia.org.au) delivering free, self-paced courses in advocacy, disability law, anti-racism, disaster preparedness, and Auslan presentations; the Auslan Shop e-commerce store; the Accessibility and Inclusion Toolkit (AIDE Toolkit) providing Deaf-led resources across Education, Employment, Health, and Services/Products; and a Membership Program. The organization also produces the Our Deaf Ways video podcast series with SBS and maintains the Deaf Ecosystem information resource. All educational content is available in Auslan with written English and features professional deaf interpreters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Australian Deaf Census: World-first Deaf-led Census project that gathered national data on Deaf people's experiences, identity, language use, and community priorities
• AIDE Toolkit
• Our Deaf Ways
• Deaf Australia Awards

Products and services

• eLearning Platform Online self-paced learning platform offering free courses in advocacy, disability law, disaster preparedness, anti-racism, Auslan presentations, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. All courses include Auslan videos with written English, professional Deaf interpreters, and optional Deafblind formatting, and are permanently free.
• Auslan Shop E-commerce store selling Deaf-related products including books, DVDs, and other materials. Offers backordering, accepts NDIS plan managed/self-managed payments, credit/debit cards via Stripe, and bank transfers. Ships within Australia via Sendle and Australia Post.
• Accessibility and Inclusion Toolkit (AIDE Toolkit) World-first Deaf-led toolkit providing guidelines, checklists, and resources across Education, Employment, Health, Language Use, and Services/Products to improve accessibility and inclusion for Deaf, Deafblind, and hard of hearing Auslan users. Based on the Deaf Census 2022 with 1,215 participants.
• Membership Program Annual membership program with categories for Ordinary ($50/year), Associate ($50/year), Concession/Student ($25/year), Under 18 ($5/year), and Corporate membership. Ordinary Members are Deaf or hard of hearing with full voting rights; Associate Members are open to anyone without voting rights. Includes newsletters, advocacy support, and community involvement.
• Deaf Ecosystem Collection of information and resources presented in Auslan providing the Deaf community with access to facts and information of interest.
• Our Deaf Ways Video Podcast Series Six-part video podcast series produced with SBS, featuring episodes on Deaf 101, Deaf Stories, Deaf Gain, DeafBlind and Ushers, Intersectionality, and Deaftopia. Available on SBS on Demand.
• Individual Advocacy Support Direct advocacy support service for individual Deaf community members, helping them navigate services, NDIS, and accessibility issues.

Quantifiable outcome

• Federal Budget 2026-27: $5 million per year for 3 years additional funding secured for 24/7 Video Relay Services
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• StoryfolkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2026Storyfolk designed the Australian Deaf Census Infographics for Deaf Australia. This partnership transformed complex census data into compelling, accessible infographic formats that won three Betterfuture Design Awards including a World Design Award.
• SBScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeaf Australia collaborated with SBS to produce the 'Our Deaf Ways' six-part video podcast series. The series offers a window on the lives of Deaf people around Australia, covering topics including Deaf 101, Deaf Stories, Deaf Gain, DeafBlind & Ushers, Intersectionality, and Deaftopia.
• Every Australian Counts CampaignmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeaf Australia supports the Every Australian Counts Campaign which is working collaboratively with disability organisations and the general public to advocate against NDIS changes announced by Minister Mark Butler.
• Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the ArtsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeaf Australia meets regularly with the Department to discuss ongoing concerns and opportunities for improvement within the National Relay Service (NRS), particularly regarding VRS availability, 24/7 access, Triple Zero accessibility, and interpreter workforce shortages.
• ConcentrixmajorTechnology or IntegrationConcentrix is the company responsible for delivering the National Relay Service (NRS). Deaf Australia has been actively engaging with Concentrix to raise community concerns about VRS transition from Skype to Microsoft Teams, communication accessibility gaps, and service quality issues.
• Information Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) / DSScoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDeaf Australia's research projects including the Deaf Census and AIDE Toolkit were funded by ILC grants. The project was made possible with funding from DSS (ILC - Social and Community Participation (SCP)).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• British Deaf Association: UK Deaf-led advocacy body campaigning for BSL recognition and Deaf rights. Directly comparable structure, mission, and community-led advocacy model to Deaf Australia.
• Expression Australia: Victorian/Australian organization providing Auslan interpreting, translation, and Deaf community services. Closest Australia-based peer on interpreting and direct Deaf service delivery.
• Deaf Aotearoa New Zealand: New Zealand's national Deaf advocacy organization representing NZSL users. Direct peer across mission, sign-language focus, and national DRO-style representation.
• Deaf Connect: Australian provider of interpreting, advocacy, and community services for Deaf people. Domestic peer sharing the same end community, with overlapping interpreting and accessibility mandates.
• National Association of the Deaf (US): US Deaf community advocacy organization with parallel mandate on sign language recognition, accessibility, and civil rights. Closest functional analog to Deaf Australia's DRO role, differing only by geography.
• Canadian Association of the Deaf: Canada's national Deaf advocacy association, focused on LSQ/ASL users and accessibility policy. Comparable in scope and advocacy orientation to Deaf Australia.

Broad incumbents

• World Federation of the Deaf: Global umbrella for national Deaf associations, including Deaf Australia via Australia's membership. Highly comparable as a Deaf-led advocacy body, but operates internationally rather than serving a single country.
• People with Disability Australia: Australia's cross-disability advocacy peak. Comparable in DRO-style national representation role, but serves all disability cohorts rather than focusing specifically on the Deaf/Auslan community.

Others

• National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA): Government administrator of the NDIS scheme that Deaf Australia's community depends on. Not a competitor, but a structural counterparty whose policy decisions materially affect Deaf Australia's members and advocacy priorities.

Emerging players

• Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training: National resource supporting equitable education for students with disability in Australia. Overlaps with Deaf Australia's AIDE Education module and eLearning advocacy content.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@deafaustralia
• Facebookfacebook.com/deafaustralia
• Instagraminstagram.com/deafaustralia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deaf-australia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Auslan Corporation Ltd