Melbourne Polytechnic was proud to host the 2025 Auslan Teachers Conference at our Collingwood campus from 22-24 September 2025.
This landmark event was Australia’s first national conference dedicated to strengthening Auslan teaching practice and supporting the inclusion of Deaf and hard-of-hearing people and their cultural identity.
The closed industry gathering brought together more than 100 delegates from Australia and beyond. Attendees included Auslan teachers from TAFEs and RTOs, small business owners and representatives from community organisations including Deaf Connect, Expression Australia and the Victorian Deaf Education Institute.
Over 3 days, participants engaged in a rich program of keynote presentations, Deaf-led workshops, networking opportunities and exhibitor showcases. Highlights included keynote addresses from Professor Adam Schembri (University of Birmingham) and Dr Breda Carty AO (Macquarie University), an early pioneer of Deaf Studies in Australia.
Sessions covered a wide range of themes, such as the application of internationally recognised language proficiency standards to Auslan teaching, with practical strategies for adapting these approaches to classroom settings.
The event was an important opportunity for educators, researchers and industry leaders to collaborate and share expertise. It culminated in a gala dinner, where delegates and Deaf community members came together to celebrate a successful conference and National Week of Deaf People, which coincided with the event.
A special thanks goes to all attendees and to Melbourne Polytechnic’s outstanding Auslan team for their role in making the conference such a success.
As demand for Auslan interpreters and translators continues to grow, Melbourne Polytechnic is proud to play a leading role in training the future workforce.