What is Auslan Day?

Auslan Day, falling on 13th April every year, celebrates the rich history, culture, community and language of the Australian Deaf community by honouring the date of the first publication of the Auslan dictionary. The dictionary was published by Professor Trevor Johnson in 1989. As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), he began to research the linguistics of Australian Sign Language. The dictionary is still heavily used today, including Auslan classes across the country!

Auslan Day is an initiative of Deaf Australia and supported by Deaf Connect.

What is Auslan?

Auslan is the language of the Australian Deaf Community. Auslan is a portmanteau, a word made up by combining the words Australian Sign Language.

Did you know that Auslan or Australian Sign Language has been used in Australia since the 1900s. Whilst it is hard to pinpoint the date when Auslan was first used, there is evidence of signing Deaf people in Australia going back to 1820s.

Share on social media!

Use our Social Media frames to add an image of yourself using Auslan. Make sure you tag Deaf Connect so we can see your post and share. Also keep an eye out for our social media posts that you can share on the day with your friends, colleagues and networks. Don't forget to use the hashtag #auslanday, #deafconnect, and #deaflottery

Want to support the Australian Deaf community? 

Deaf Lottery is the fundraising program of Deaf Connect, Australia’s largest whole-of-life service provider for Deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind Australians. Your ticket purchase goes towards vital services for this community.