Project Overview
The Deaf Census is a first-of-its-kind initiative in Australia; a radical reimagining of how data can be designed not just to inform, but to transform. Developed through deep collaboration with Deaf, Deafblind, Deaf disabled, and hard-of-hearing communities, this project rethinks data as a vehicle for equity, connection, and systemic change.
This is more than a national census of the Deaf community; it’s a human-centred design intervention that transforms data into dignity by challenging exclusion, elevating lived experience, and setting a benchmark for inclusive systems design. By embedding visual storytelling, inclusive infographics and AUSLAN accessibility, this project repositions data as a shared language that returns power to the people it serves and opens up new pathways to representation, participation, and policy reform.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Sarah Gross - Creative Director
Cass Mackenzie - Design Director
Riley McDonald - Senior Designer
Ipek Cav - Digital & Content Developer
Researchers: Dr Gabrielle Hodge, Lee Murray, Darlene Thornton, and Jen Blyth
Project Brief
The Deaf Census was initiated to address a longstanding systemic failure: the historic exclusion of Deaf, Deafblind, Deaf disabled, and hard-of-hearing Australians from national data collection and, by extension, from the policies, services, and systems that shape their daily lives.
Led by Deaf Australia in partnership with Storyfolk, the project set out to reimagine what a census could be. Not as a passive tool for collecting statistics, but as an active, human-centred intervention—designed with community, for community. Through deep co-design and embedded lived experience at every stage, the Deaf Census positions data not as a product, but as social infrastructure: a means of restoring agency, informing action, and driving systemic change.
This is more than a data initiative. It is a blueprint for inclusive futures; one that transforms visibility into equity, and recognition into representation.
Project Innovation/Need
Before this initiative, no national dataset reflected the true diversity, experiences, and identities of Deaf, Deafblind, Deaf disabled, and hard-of-hearing Australians. The Deaf Census set out to change that not by adapting outdated systems, but by designing something entirely new: a data platform built by and for the community it represents.This wasn’t just about collecting numbers. It was about building a future where Deaf communities can see themselves reflected in the decisions that shape their lives.
Key innovations include:
• Data as a tool for equity: Instead of static reports that sit on a shelf, this project turned data into action. The platform is designed to equip communities, service providers, and governments with the knowledge they need to make fair, inclusive decisions—now and into the future.
• Design that empowers through accessibility: The Deaf Census redefined data accessibility with vibrant infographics, WCAG-compliant colour contrast, and AUSLAN video content available via QR codes. These tools simplify complex insights, spark meaningful conversations, and drive action, helping the community understand their role and plan for the future.
At its heart, this project redefines what a census can be: not just a snapshot of the past, but a foundation for the future. One built on trust, inclusion, and the belief that every voice matters.
Design Challenge
This wasn’t just a design challenge—it was a systemic one. How do you make data collection radically accessible and genuinely meaningful for a community that has been excluded from its design, language, and intent?
Challenges included:
• Addressing diverse communication needs across the Deaf ecosystem.
• Navigating deep community mistrust of traditional data systems due to decades of marginalisation.
• The solution was co-design, bringing lived experience into every stage, shaping decisions with community input, and ensuring technology enabled, rather than restricted, participation. These challenges didn’t just influence the project; they fuelled its innovation.
Future Impact
The Deaf Census marks a turning point not just for Deaf communities, but for inclusive system design across Australia. Its legacy is not limited to the data collected, but lies in the shift it sparks: from extractive models to participatory ones, where communities are seen, heard, and actively shaping their futures.
Its future impact is already taking shape:
• Shaping policy that reflects lived experience. Insights from the census are actively informing decisions in education, employment, healthcare, and language access, building systems that better reflect the needs of Deaf Australians.
• Strengthening identity and collective agency. By valuing diverse lived experiences, the census has built momentum and pride within the Deaf community, fostering trust, visibility, and confidence to lead change from within.
• Setting a blueprint for systemic change. The Deaf Census shows what’s possible when equity isn’t an add-on; it’s the foundation. This can be seen as a template for other marginalised communities, locally and globally, seeking to reclaim data as a tool for self-determination.
• Providing visibility and driving cultural understanding. Governments, service providers, and the broader public have access to data that reflects the full diversity of Deaf lives. This visibility challenges assumptions, reduces stigma, and creates space for more inclusive, informed conversations.
The Deaf Census proves that when design puts community at the heart, it doesn’t just address inequality; it transforms the system. And that’s where real, lasting change starts.
Systems - Social Design
Social design applies a design methodology and intervention to tighten the social fabric that holds us together. Addressing issues of social inequality, such as poverty or social isolation, social design is the pathway to a more just and sustainable society.
All systems are designed to serve a purpose – and that purpose is to serve people. Systems design optimises systems performance by systematically focusing on the human component - human capacities, abilities, limitations and aspirations.
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