Cyber Security Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
Supported by the Act Now. Stay Secure. Campaign
This Cyber Security Awareness Support for Vulnerable Groups grant activity received grant funding from the Australian Government.
In early 2026, our team has been visiting selected schools to run free, in-person workshops for students aged 12–18 who use Auslan as their preferred way to communicate.
These workshops taught students how to:
- Protect their personal information online
- Choose strong, secure passphrases
- Set up multi-factor authentication
- Keep their devices safe with software updates
The sessions were interactive, practical and Auslan-accessible — helping students feel more confident navigating the online world safely.
We are incredibly grateful to the schools, teachers and students who took part in the Cyber Security Awareness Program. Their enthusiasm, participation and thoughtful feedback have helped demonstrate the importance of providing young people with practical skills to stay safe online.
The feedback below highlights what students enjoyed, what they learned and how the program has helped build their confidence in recognising scams, protecting personal information and making safer choices online.
Schools that hosted and attended
Weir State High school
Mackay North High school
Runcorn State high school
St Mary’s Dandenong Campus
Avenue College
Adelaide high school
Indooroopilly State high school
Victorian College of the Deaf
St Mary’s Ringwood Campus
Sunshine College
Hobart City High School
La Trobe High school
Norwood High school
Shenton College
Mosman Park primary School
Schools that attended
Mango Hill State Secondary college
Goodna Special school
Kedron State high school
Ipswich state high school
Flagstone state community college
Collingwood park state college
Warrigal Road State school
Beenleighstate high school
Toowoomba State High school
Mckay state high school
HuonVille High School
Our Impact
![IMG_1635[1]](https://www.deafchildrenaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IMG_16351-1024x768.jpg)
Hear from our Schools
I found as a Teacher Aide: Educational Interpreter this program was invaluable in teaching our DHH students how to be safe in the cyber world. Most of our students are quite vulnerable so the more repetitive and inclusive the message the better. Teachers teaching in Auslan and learning with their peers makes a huge difference. I loved the fact that the props made the learning fun and memorable. It was also something we discussed after the event to embed the learning.
It was so exciting for us to have something happen in Central Queensland and would love for it to become an annual event as we work to protect and educate our students together.
Trudy
Mackay North State Highschool
The Cyber Safety Awareness Workshop provided a valuable opportunity for our regional students, who rarely have access to this type of face-to-face learning experience. The presenters were engaging, knowledgeable, and patient, taking the time to clearly explain concepts and connect meaningfully with our small group of Deaf students.
It was wonderful to see the students able to communicate directly with the presenters. Once they became more comfortable, their confidence grew, and questions and discussions flowed much more freely.
We thoroughly enjoyed hosting this face-to-face workshop on such a relevant and important topic. We would welcome the opportunity for follow-up sessions and would happily host the Deaf Children Australia team again in the future.
Thank you so much, Deaf Children Australia, for delivering such an impactful Cyber Safety Workshop!
Anna
Mackay North State Highschool
100%
of teachers felt the CSA Wrokshop was delivered in a safe and respectful way.
95%
of teachers felt our facilitators were engaging and knowledgeable.
100%
of teachers were satisfied with the workshop.
91%
of teachers thought we show practical strategies for future use.
Hear from our Students
Workshop experience
“My favourite part was learning new ways to stay safe online.”
“I enjoyed the activities and learning how to keep myself safe.”
“My favourite part was learning about MFA and scams.”
“I liked doing the quiz to see whether I understood everything.”
“The Kahoot, videos and activities made the workshop fun.”
“I enjoyed being a volunteer during one of the activities.”
“The presenters explained what to do and how to stay safe.”
“The class discussion was great.”
What students learned
“I learned how to stay safe online and how to identify a scam.”
“I learned how to tell the difference between a scam and something that is safe.”
“I learned not to reply to people I don’t know.”
“I learned that you should always set up MFA when creating a new account.”
“I learned not to use the same password for every account.”
“I learned how to protect my passwords and who my trusted adults are.”
Cyber Safety Concepts Student recalled:
0
SCAMS0
PERSONAL INFORMATION0
TRUSTED ADULT0
CYBERSECURITY ATTACKS0
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