First Nations. Deaf-led. Since 2007.
Connection starts here ↙Culture.
Language.
Connection.
Every person brings a story.
Every language carries a world.
First Nations Deaf and disability knowledge at the heart of consultancy, cultural sign language translation and community work.
Explore our work
Led by Jody Barney.
Grounded in lived experience.
A welcome from Jody
I wish to honour you in joining us on this journey as you discover this website. What you learn here will help you champion the rights and accessibility of First Nations people with disability, not just people who are Deaf and hard of hearing. Bring your many perspectives with you. This knowledge is here to be carried into practice, so you can keep learning and join us in understanding the disability rights and accessibility needs of First Nations people with disability. Here you will find the challenges and solutions that Deaf Indigenous Community Consultancy works on, research and resources you can call on, and training and opportunities that fit your busy schedule and help you reach your full potential.
2025 at a glance
- 302days on the road for work
- 8major pieces of research
- 46court cases
- 61trainings, online and face to face
- 30communities, roughly
Two identities.
A whole perspective.
Culture and language
belong in the same conversation.
Deaf Indigenous Community Consultancy works at the intersection of Deaf and First Nations identity. With communities, organisations and researchers, the work begins with people and the knowledge they hold.
01 / The person behind the work
A living CVMeet
Jody.
A Birri-Gubba / Urangan Deaf woman. A lifetime of connecting worlds.
Jody Barney founded Deaf Indigenous Community Consultancy in 2007. Her work is grounded in her Aboriginal and South Sea Islander heritage and her experience as a Deaf woman.
From community conversations to senior courts, from training rooms to international research, she brings cultural and language knowledge to places where understanding matters.
Learn about Jody's journeyAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sign languages
24 languages learnt as living cultural languages through lived experience and deep community relationships spanning over 40 years.
Jody, right now
Where Jody will be
Jody often stacks several pieces of work into one trip. If you are nearby and would like to invite her or meet while she is there, send a booking request. Jody confirms days and times.
- 8 to 12 October 2026Geelong, Victoria, AustraliaOpen to meetings and bookings
- 14 to 16 October 2026Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, AustraliaOpen to meetings and bookings
- 18 to 23 October 2026Cairns, Queensland, AustraliaOpen to meetings and bookings
- 28 to 29 October 2026East Gippsland, Victoria, AustraliaOpen to meetings and bookings
- 29 to 31 October 2026Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaOpen to meetings and bookings
- 10 November to 11 December 2026UK and Europe, InternationalBusiness trip. Contact Jody for further details and bookings.Open to meetings and bookings
Recent photos
Australian Indigenous Women Delegation, IWI Summit "Weaving our Worlds Together" 2026
02 / What we do
People first. Context always.Different settings.
The same care.
Culture, language and access are connected.
Our work reflects that.
01Consultancy
Make space for culture in the way you work.
First Nations Deaf and disability perspectives for organisations, services and community projects. Begin with the people, the place and the questions that need attention.
Discuss consultancy02Interpreters and cultural translation
Communication that respects cultural protocols.
Cultural sign language translation services, and cultural and language knowledge for working with interpreters in complex conversations, including justice settings. Discuss the language, community context and access needs of your engagement.
Discuss interpreters and cultural translation03Training
Learning that changes everyday practice.
Explore Deaf and disability awareness and First Nations cultural perspectives with your team. Training begins with your setting and the people your work affects.
See training, including a free online course04Advocacy
First Nations Deaf people and people with disability at the centre.
Work that brings lived experience into decisions about access, services and systems. Community knowledge belongs in the conversation from the beginning.
Discuss advocacy05Research
Knowledge with responsibility.
Bring First Nations Deaf and disability perspectives to research questions, relationships and practice. Talk with us about the context and purpose of your work.
Discuss research06Community capacity-building
Knowledge that stays with community.
Work alongside First Nations Deaf people, people with disability, families and communities to strengthen understanding, connections and participation.
Discuss community capacity-buildingA welcome, in Auslan
A welcome you can see.
Why it began, in Auslan
Why Jody started Deaf Indigenous Community Consultancy.
03 / Speaking & engagements
A different
perspective
in the room.
Conversations shaped by a life across languages, cultures and communities.
Invite Jody to contribute to a conference, a panel, a community gathering or a conversation with your team.
- First Nations Deaf identity and culture
- Language, interpreting and access to justice
- Community knowledge and research
Share the setting, audience, dates and access arrangements.
04 / Research & shared knowledge
A space in developmentGood knowledge.
Held with care.
A clearinghouse for First Nations Deaf knowledge.
A home for Jody's research, reports and talks, with a Librarian to help you find what you need. Materials are shared only with the right permissions and context.
Library and Librarian
Every work with where to find it. Ask the Librarian a question and it answers from the collection, citing each source.
Acknowledgement of Country
Deaf Indigenous Community Consultancy acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country across Australia and honours Elders past and present, whose custodianship of land, water, sky and story continues to guide us. We recognise and uphold the knowledge, languages and cultural strength of Deaf Indigenous people, whose ways of seeing, signing and connecting enrich our communities and shape our shared future. Their cultural sign languages, lived experience and custodianship remain central to how we walk respectfully on Country and how we commit ourselves to culturally safe practice in every space we enter.
Deaf Recognition
We at Deaf Indigenous Community Consultancy wish to recognise the Deaf community of Seniors who have stood beside First Nations Deaf people with genuine allyship, care and respect. You welcomed us, shared your sign language and your Deaf knowledge and opened doors that were once closed to us. You respected our cultural significance languages alongside Auslan, and you followed First Nations leadership with humility. You have walked with Deaf Indigenous Community Consultancy in true community spirit and reconciliation, often quietly and over many years. We honour you, and we recognise you in thanks.