With the federal election on 3 May 2025, Deaf Sports Australia (DSA) is calling on all political parties to commit to funding high-performance pathway programs for Australian Deaf athletes competing in major events, such as the Deaflympic Games.
Unlike their Olympic and Paralympic counterparts, Deaf athletes are currently excluded from government-funded high-performance pathways, leaving them to shoulder significant financial and developmental burdens while representing Australia on the global stage.
As Australians prepare to vote on 3 May 2025, DSA calls on all candidates to make a tangible commitment to supporting Australian Deaf athletes competing at the Deaflympics.
By prioritising equality in sports funding, the Australian government will not only demonstrate its commitment to giving all high-performance athletes a fair go but also empower our nation’s Deaf athletes to compete at their absolute best.
A media release was sent out on 16 April 2025 calling for members of Parliament and Australians to help us with change for the better. See attached.
We seek your help
We are asking our Deaf sporting community to assist us with this campaign for change – “Use your Power for Good.”
Your message: (find your own words)
“Deaf and Hard of Hearing Australians demand equal access to high performance funding and programs so we can access a pathway to achieve our best in sport. The Deaflympics is the peak multi-sport event for all deaf people across the world – we need government support to represent Australia and achieve the best we can.”
To find out your local federal Member of Parliament, go to this website –
https://www.aph.gov.au/senators_and_members/members > check out ‘Current members’
To contact the Minister for Sport or Opposition Spokesperson for Sport, here are the email addresses:
* Minister for Sport – The Hon Anika Wells MP – Anika.Wells.MP@aph.gov.au
* Opposition Spokesperson for Sport – Senator Anne Ruston – senator.ruston@aph.gov.au
For more information, contact Deaf Sports Australia at info@deafsports.org.au