Speaking & Engagements

Jody Barney is a Birri-Gubba / Urangan Deaf woman and founder of Deaf Indigenous Community Consultancy. She brings 40 years of experience at the intersection of disability, culture and justice. Jody is a Churchill Fellow, Atlantic Senior Fellow for Social Equity, and holds a Bachelor of Applied Management Studies from the University of Ballarat.

Jody Barney is a proud Birri-Gubba / Urangan Deaf woman, founder and lead consultant with Deaf Indigenous Community Consultancy. Her 40 years of work connecting First Nations Deaf communities, organisations and systems spans language advocacy, justice reform, research and training. A Senior Deaf Indigenous Interpreter since 1997, Jody works at the intersection of disability justice and cultural safety. She is a Churchill Fellow (2022), an inaugural Atlantic Senior Fellow for Social Equity (2018), was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women (2021) for leadership and advocacy for First Nations women with disability, won the TAC Independent Achiever Award at the 2020 Aspire Awards for her advocacy for First Nations people with disability, won the 2020 National Awards for Disability Leadership, is a Social Impact Leadership Fellow with Social Impact Leadership Australia (2026) and a Director of Tangata Group (2026). She holds a Bachelor of Applied Management Studies and is an Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD) member. She served on the First Nations Disability Advisory Group to the Disability Royal Commission, and speaks and trains in Australia and internationally on Deaf identity, First Nations communication, justice system access, and Indigenous ways of knowing.