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ANNUAL REPORT 2016

T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 2016

VISION

Equity for deaf people

PURPOSE

‘Deaf life: Your way, your language’. We work with deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing people.

We work to break down barriers, create choice and support you to reach your goals.

Highlights of the Year ...............................................................................................................................3

Message from the Chair ...........................................................................................................................4

Overview from the Chief Executive Officer ...........................................................................................5

Our People .................................................................................................................................................6

Our Strategy - how we performed .......................................................................................................... 7

Treasurer’s Report ................................................................................................................................... 13

Financial Report ...................................................................................................................................... 14

Membership & Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... 19

PATRONS

PATRON His Excellency General The

Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret’d)

Governor of NSW

VICE PATRON Nola Colefax OAM

CONTENTS

T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 2016 3

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR

Leadership in Community Accessibility Award

In November 2015, the Deaf

Society and NSW Rural Fire Service

were recognised for Leadership in

Community Accessibility at the

NSW Disability Industry Innovation

Awards. The award was in recognition

of the innovative Get Ready project.

Meeting with international deaf role model

We were delighted to meet America’s

Next Top Model winner, Nyle

DiMarco when he visited Australia

late last year. Nyle has since gone on

to win America’s Dancing with the

Stars and continues to demonstrate

that deaf people ‘can!’

Deaf Festival!

The 2015 Deaf Festival

was a standout event for

the year with memorable

performances including

the Sydney Philharmonia

Signing Choir’s preview

performance.

Wiggle learns Auslan

Yellow Wiggle, Emma Watkins studied Auslan with us this year. It was lovely to

learn about Emma’s inclusive approach to her role as a Wiggle and wanting to

connect with children who are deaf or use sign language.


It is with mixed feelings I write the

Chairperson’s report – I feel strange

that Alastair McEwin is not writing the

Chairperson’s report. Alastair has been a

fantastic President and Chairperson for

the Deaf Society, leading the Board and

organisation through the transition of the

Chief Executive Officer role and through the

new changes that the National Disability

Insurance Scheme (NDIS) brings to the

organisation.

However, I am very pleased with Alastair’s

appointment as our first deaf Australian

Disability Discrimination Commissioner,

even though this meant that Alastair

had to step down from his President and

Chairperson role. On behalf of the Deaf

Society and the Board, I would like to wish

Alastair the very best with his new role in

the Australian Human Rights Commission.

This year is the first “full” year that our

first deaf Chief Executive Officer, Leonie

Jackson, has led the Deaf Society. Leonie

has implemented several changes in the

structure of the organisation, making sure

that the organisation has a customer-

centric focus. This is an important cultural

shift which will align with the NDIS, which

has expanded over the year to include the

Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and,

at the end of the financial year, the Blue

Mountains region. The NDIS will continue

rolling out to other regions in Australia

over the next few years, opening new

opportunities for the Deaf Society and for

the deaf and hard of hearing community.

Organisational change can be painful

for some people, either impacting or

changing their role in the organisation.

The Board would like to acknowledge and

note our appreciation to the Deaf Society

staff for supporting these changes, and

understanding why these changes are

necessary to remain relevant to the deaf

and hard of hearing community.

As a deaf person, I am proud to see a strong

organisation with deaf leaders providing

a positive service to the community. I am

excited to see the opportunities that the

future will bring to the organisation.

The Board has strengthened its governance

and leadership by changing our constitution

to reduce the number of roles on the Board

and combining the ceremonial role of the

President with the Board leadership role of

the Chairperson (which was achieved at our

EGM on 6 September 2016). This will make

the Board more focused and disciplined

with its governance, however the Board

will continue needing support from other

advisory groups and committees.

The Board has recently established the

Advisory Council as a committee, which

is composed of members of the deaf and

hard of hearing community. It is envisioned

that this Council will provide us with the

opportunity to develop future deaf and hard

of hearing Board Directors and provide the

Board with a strong succession plan. I am

looking forward to seeing the first ‘graduate’

from the Advisory Council joining the Deaf

Society Board.

I would like to thank the Board – David

Atkinson, Ken Deacon, Brian Halse, Alastair

McEwin, Frank Peterson, Vivek Prabhu, Sue

Rae, Julie Tait, and Elizabeth Wee. These

Board Directors have volunteered their

time and energy to ensure that the Deaf

Society remains an important asset to the

community, and that it continues to strive

to achieve Equity for Deaf People.

Finally, I would like to thank Leonie Jackson

and her team of dedicated, wonderful staff

for their dedication to the organisation, and

for serving and supporting the deaf and

hard of hearing community.

Todd Wright

Chairperson

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR


It is with great pleasure that I present

this year’s report to our members and

supporters. I hope you will enjoy learning

about our highlights and work supporting

deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind people and

their families.

The past 12 months have been a time of

significant change while the Deaf Society

prepares for the full rollout of the National

Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in NSW

and ACT. The team and I have been learning

a lot from our customers and supporters

about how the NDIS has positively impacted

their lives. We are also excited about the

possibilities that NDIS will bring to deaf,

hard of hearing, deafblind people and their

families and carers in the near future.

As the organisation was going through

changes, I came across this quote from

Barack Obama while he was a senator in

2008 which sums up the past 12 months:

“Change will not come if we wait for some

other person or some other time. We are

the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the

change that we seek.”

This resonated with me and became my

mantra during this time of change. I could

not have done this without the

support from the board and leadership

team. They have given me an important

mandate to ensure that we at the Deaf

Society become customer-centric

organisation that provides high quality

customer-focused services and supports.

With the support and feedback from our

customers, members, consultants and the

community, the Deaf Society have developed

and implemented three key strategies:

1. Growth Strategy – this five year strategic

plan is the organisation’s blueprint to

develop new services and supports that

are financially sustainable under the new

NDIS funding model.

2. IT Audit and Strategy – the organisation

has recruited a senior IT Business

Analyst to review the organisation’s IT

OVERVIEW FROM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

infrastructure and develop an IT strategy

including new infrastructure to ensure

that the organisation’s customers find it

easy to book, pay and use our services.

3. Customer Strategy – this strategy is

developed to ensure that every employee

who works for the Deaf Society is 100%

focused on our customers.

We have implemented many changes and

there is still a lot of work to do. We rely

on our customers and members to give us

feedback. After all, you are the reason why I

am making the changes – you have told me

either directly or indirectly that you want

things to change.

In conclusion, I would like to thank a

number of people. First of all, I would like

to thank the immediate past Chair and

President, Alastair McEwin for his loyalty,

guidance and support during my first

full year as the CEO of this wonderful

organisation. Todd Wright and Brian Halse

have stepped into Alastair’s shoes and have

also been wonderful support to me and

the leadership team since Alastair stepped

down to take up his new role as Australia’s

Disability Discrimination Commissioner. The

Deaf Society’s board have been my brain

trust and I cannot thank them enough for

their support and guidance during a year of

significant changes.

Secondly, I would like to thank my

management team. Sharon Nann, David

McQuiggin, Andrew Wiltshire, John

O’Neill, Ivana Krunes, Rosalie Kassulke,

Kate Matairavula, Gerry Healy, Michelle

Pogoni and Sharon Xabregas all have been

a wonderful support to me and the team

at the Deaf Society. Each one of them are

strongly committed to making the Deaf

Society an organisation that provides high

quality service and support to deaf, hard

of hearing and deafblind people and their

families, friends and employers.

Thirdly I would like to thank the whole Deaf

Society team across NSW and ACT for

reminding me every day that the work we

do is life changing for our customers. The

team is a constant source of inspiration

to me as I can see how much they care

for our customers. Every day, they

come to work with a 100% focus and

determination.

Lastly I would like to thank our members,

donors and supporters. Without you, we

cannot achieve equity for deaf people.

I look forward to continuing the Deaf

Society’s vision and work to ensure that

together, we achieve equity for everyone.

Leonie Jackson

Chief Executive Officer


We aim to lead by example, our workplace is bi-lingual

and bi-cultural where both Auslan and English are used

and valued. We celebrate our diverse employees including

those engaged on a casual basis and value the passion and

skill they bring as we work toward equity for deaf people.

Our staff work with our partners including not-for-profit,

corporate and government organisations to achieve

greater impact. Most importantly, our staff support our

customers to ensure they have access to all areas of life on

an equal basis with others.

Genevieve Roberts

Get Ready Project Officer

Genevieve was

instrumental in the

success of the Get

Ready project which

prepared the Deaf

Community for

emergencies like fire,

flood and storm.

Her experience and

passion were vital in

the development of

the nine Deaf Liaison

Officers and training

of over 200 deaf

people in emergency

preparedness.

Leah Brown

Booking Coordinator

Leah is passionate

about ensuring our

customer’s request for

an interpreter is fulfilled

91% of the time. With

a limited supply of

interpreters and an in

increase in demand for

interpreting services,

sometimes a lot of

creativity is needed to

ensure we can meet our

customers’ needs. Leah

sources interpreters and

providers for customers

from all over NSW and

the ACT.

Jenny Rozsa

Support Coordinator

Jenny works closely

with customers to

prepare them for their

NDIS planning meeting.

She is open and willing

to listen to customers

and always strives for

the best outcome for

them. When requested,

Jenny attends their

planning meetings with

them to provide moral

support for them. She

encourages them to

speak for themselves

during these meetings.

Customers like her

warm and friendly

persona.

Simon Mahony

Auslan Trainer

With over 12 years

teaching experience,

Simon has been

instrumental in

establishing and

maintaining courses

in the Northern Rivers

region and surrounds.

Simon has been a key

mentor for the local

Auslan trainers and

students in the region.

Along with his teaching

capacity, Simon

brings a wealth of

community knowledge,

professionalism, and

most importantly – fun!

Nicholas Kassulke

Support Worker

Nicholas is committed

to the provision of

strong supports and

customer satisfaction

in all the work that

he does. He is always

willing to go the extra

mile for customers and

works with colleagues

at any level to ensure

the best outcomes

are achieved for our

customers.

STAFF PROFILES

OUR PEOPLE


OUR STRATEGY - HOW WE PERFORMED

To work effectively towards our vision of

equity for deaf people, we set ourselves five

strategic directions for 2015-2018:

1. Improve and expand services for deaf,

deafblind and hard of hearing people

2. Create opportunities in the workforce

3. Build community capacity

4. Build a customer-centred Deaf Society

5. Strengthen partnerships and support

other agencies

The following pages (pages 7-12) contain

a summary of outcomes against the five

strategic priorities during the 2016 year.

In 2016, we continued to support deaf,

deafblind and hard of hearing people and

their families across a range of service areas

including; independent living, information

provision, interpreting, education and training,

and employment and workplace support.

We have worked to develop the

community’s awareness of our employment

service through a range of marketing

strategies. This has led to an increase in

deaf and hard of hearing people joining

our employment service in Parramatta,

Wollongong and Gosford. We have seen

an increase in sustainable job placements

in the Central Coast region due to

the commitment of staff in providing

exceptional customer service to job seekers

and employers.

The Education and Training team were

successful in renewing our Registered

Training Organisation (RTO 91243) status

for another seven years until May 2023. This

ensures that we can continue to provide a

range of courses to deaf and hard of hearing

people and continue to grow the number of

students that we support.

The RTO renewal was the ‘icing on the cake’

for the education area which experienced

its largest student intake with 556

enrolments. This included expansion of our

course delivery to the ACT under the ACT

Government Skills Capital funding program

and regional NSW including Broken Hill

and Bathurst under the NSW Governments

Smart and Skilled Program.

IMPROVE AND EXPAND SERVICES FOR DEAF, DEAFBLIND AND HARD OF HEARING PEOPLE

15,500+ hours ofAuslan/English Interpreting

333 tactile smokealarms installed


Sally Smid was part of the Parent to Parent Support

Program in 2016. She shares her experience of the

program and the valuable support her family received;

My family and I are now regular attendees at deaf

events, we have made several friends in the Deaf

community and we are learning Auslan through the

Deaf Society. We are a happy, confident, proud and

strong family and we are certain that Kathy’s support

has helped us get here. She has truly been a unique

blessing to our family and I will forever be grateful

for her support and guidance and I know I’ve made a

lifelong friend out of the Parent-to-Parent Program.

A warm welcome to the Deaf Community

Kathy (mentor) has been an enormous blessing to

me and my family and we are so thankful for her

support, kindness, time and now friendship! Before

I met Kathy, I didn’t know any deaf people, I didn’t

know Auslan and I didn’t know much about hearing

loss or sign language. It was important to me to

access all of these so my son James could grow up as

part of the Deaf Community and build a strong and

happy confidence in his identity- not as a person with

hearing “loss” or “impairment” but as a person with

“Deaf gain”

Kathy introduced my family to people in the Deaf

Community, including her beautiful family, pointed

me in the direction of classes, courses, services and

resources and we talked about a whole bunch of

other random stuff that could only be covered

over cups of coffee or in late night chats

on the phone- usually accompanied by

tears and laughter.


CREATE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WORKFORCE

With an increasing number of people

enrolling in Auslan courses and families of

deaf children requesting Auslan tutoring in

the home, we realised the need to upskill

more deaf people with the Certificate IV in

TAE10 (Training and Assessment) required

for teaching. An expression of interest was

advertised and we now have 29 students

enrolled in the TAE10.

The great majority of the teachers of the

Auslan courses are deaf and fluent in Auslan

so we decided to deliver the Certificate

IV in TAE10 in Auslan. This makes the

training fully accessible and means that

everyone can participate comfortably in

discussions. We are also working with The

Parramatta College to unpack the TAE40110

qualification and ensure written resources

are provided in plain English.

In earlier years, we have identified an

increase in demand for interpreters. To

better meet this demand, we delivered

the Diploma of Interpreting this year with

eight students achieving their NAATI

accreditation and joining the workforce.

Thanks to funding from the Champions

of the West program, we were also able

to deliver a voluntary internship program.

The program supported four deaf people

to gain valuable work experience at the

Deaf Society. In April, we welcomed three

high school students for a week of work

experience and a deaf adult for a month of

work experience. The program was not only

an opportunity to gain skills but also to learn

about best practice in a deaf workplace. They

are now better equipped to self-advocate

for communication access and assistive

equipment in their future workplaces.

Charlotte O’Connor is a customer of our

employment service. She was long term

unemployed, applying for countless jobs but

always unsuccessful. Many employers are still

unwilling to employ a deaf person. In April,

Charlotte was invited for a job interview with

Peter Canisius House and was successful in

gaining the full-time position of Kitchenhand.

Since her employment, Charlotte has learned

new skills and gained confidence in herself,

and her abilities. The employer has also

been very supportive and willing to adapt to

make it easier for Charlotte to participate in

the workplace and fulfil her responsibilities.

She is now also receiving training from the

housekeeping department so that she can

work in both areas of the business.

Most recently Charlotte was awarded

‘Employee of the Year’ by the local Rotary

Club in recognition of her exceptional

customer service skills. Charlotte’s story is

just one example of the positive influence

of employment and why we continue to

support deaf people to gain and maintain

meaningful employment.

The journey to employment


BUILD COMMUNITY CAPACITY

372 people attend NDIS information sessions

271 community membersattended Get Ready workshops

In 2016, we delivered two significant

community capacity building projects;

National Disability Insurance Scheme

(NDIS) Information Sessions and the Get

Ready Project.

In 2015, the NSW Government announces

that the NDIS would rollout to eight

regions of NSW from 1 July 2016. To ensure

that deaf people understood the scheme,

application process and the potential of the

NDIS to create greater equity in their lives,

we organised 13 information sessions across

Greater Sydney and the ACT.

In total 372 people attended the Auslan

information sessions to gain a better

understanding of the NDIS. Following on

from the workshops, we have supported

57 people to prepare for their first

meeting with an NDIS planner and have

appointments to support dozens more.

With the final phase of the NDIS rollout

commencing on 1 July 2017, we look

forward to delivering our NDIS information

sessions in the eight new regions and

supporting more deaf people to realise the

potential of the NDIS.

The Get Ready project is a partnership

involving The Deaf Society, NSW State

Emergency Service (SES), Fire & Rescue

NSW, NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), Red

Cross, University of Sydney and the Deaf

Community. It was funded by the Office

of Emergency Management through the

Community Resilience Innovation Program

(CRIP). The focus of the project was

preparing the Deaf Community for natural

disasters like fire, flood and storms.

The project involved:

• The recruitment and emergency

preparedness training of nine Deaf Liaison

Officers (DLOs) in six regions including

Illawarra, Macarthur, Blue Mountains,

Metro Sydney, Central Coast and Hunter.

• The delivery of nine Deaf Awareness

Training (DAT) sessions for emergency

services personnel with 295 emergency

services personnel attending and learning

about the best way to communicate with

deaf and hard of hearing people in the case

of an emergency.

• The production of seven Auslan emergency

preparedness videos based on the Red

Cross RediPlan.

• The delivery of 10 Emergency

Preparedness Workshops by DLOs to

their local community with 263 deaf

people in attendance including eight

deafblind people.

The success of Get Ready is due to the

holistic capacity building approach taken;

injecting knowledge and skills into both the

Deaf Community and emergency services.

DAT sessions place deaf cultural knowledge

into emergency services and DLO training

placed emergency preparedness knowledge

into the Deaf Community.

From the commencement of Get Ready,

the focus was shifted from a passive rescue

mentality to an empowered model of

shared responsibility. For a traditionally

vulnerable community, such empowerment

was enthusiastically embraced and enabled

deaf leadership to flourish. The recruitment,

training and activity of the DLOs has been

the single most effective resource to effect

change to date. The DLOs act as champions

and leaders within their communities and

bridge the gap between deaf people and

emergency services in this important area

of emergency preparedness.

The project was awarded the NSW

Disability Industry Innovation Award for

Leadership in Community Accessibility in

2015. Due to the success and impact of the

project, we are exploring ways to expand

and sustain the project into the future.

This year we embarked on an organisation

re-structure to ensure that we are more

customer-centred. We recognised that

our customers had a range of support

needs and were being referred to different

departments for different services. This

meant that the customer had multiple

points of contact which can be confusing

and their supports were fragmented rather

than holistic.

To improve the customer’s experience

of our service, we established two new

teams; the Support Coordination Team and

the Customer Service Team. The Support

Coordination Team was established in April.

The team is responsible for supporting

customers to identify their goals and the

supports they need to achieve those goals.

This includes supporting people to access

the NDIS and prepare for their meeting with

a NDIA planner who often will have no lived

experience of their disability.

Since the establishment of the team,

the response from customers has been

overwhelmingly positive. After meeting

with a Support Coordinator, customers

have expressed that they have a better

understanding of the supports and services

available which can improve their access

and community participation.

The Customer Service Team was created at

the same time as the Supports Coordination

Team. The team’s main responsibility is

responding to enquiries and requests such

as booking interpreters, enrolling students

and assigning support workers. They have

been busy learning new functions, getting

to know how each other’s area of work and

improving processes, and procedures.

BUILD A CUSTOMER-CENTRED DEAF SOCIETY

Successful changes include full time staffing

in the interpreter bookings team which

has led to increased staff satisfaction and

therefore more satisfied customers. The

consistency and the full time oversight

has improved our service significantly.

We also now have full time oversight of

our reception area with an experienced

customer service officer which has led to

an increase in positive responses from staff

and customers.

This year we welcomed Gerry Healy to the

team in the position of Senior IT Business

Analyst. His role is to evaluate and improve

our IT systems so that they support us in

being more customer-focused.

A significant project that Gerry

commenced this year is the development

of a mobile web application (app) for NDIS

customers. The app is designed to make it

easier for deaf people to book interpreters

using a smartphone.

He has also been focussed on implementing

an organisation-wide customer relationship

management (CRM) system that combines

key customer information in a single system

enabling the Customer Service Team to

provide a positive customer experience

across all Deaf Society services.


We recognise that through partnerships

and productive relationships we can better

support our customers and the Deaf

Community, and extend the reach of our

services. In the past year, we have continued

to develop relationships to the benefit of

the Deaf Community including;

• Becoming a partner of the Break the Sound

Barrier campaign which aims to put the

health and well-being of deaf, deafblind

and hard of hearing people on the national

political agenda.

• Working with Australian Hearing to

increase the reach of our Smoke Alarm

Subsidy Scheme in regional areas and

with hard of hearing people.

• Working with Able Australia to increase

awareness and understanding of

deafblindness among staff.

• NSW State Emergency Services, NSW

Rural Fire Service, Fire and Rescue NSW,

Red Cross, University of Sydney have

been valuable and committed partners

to the Get Ready project.

We have also continued to be part of an

interagency meeting group including

ASLIA NSW, Deaf Australia (NSW), The

Shepherd Centre, Royal Institute of Deaf

and Blind Children, Deaf Sports Australia,

Accessible Arts, Ephpheta Centre, Hear

for You and Deafness Forum. Interagency

meetings are an opportunity to share

information, experiences and seek

opportunities for collaboration.

STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS AND SUPPORT OTHER AGENCIES

This year, we have established an ongoing

session called the ‘Lismore Q&A’ as part

of our ongoing community engagement

strategy. The community and local Deaf

Society staff met on a quarterly basis to

exchange information, consult on the

community’s objectives and satisfaction

with service provision.

The notes from each session are turned

into an action plan, which is then acted

upon by staff and an update provide at the

following community meeting. This rolling

consultation has significantly improved

engagement with the local community and

given us a better framework for decision-

making when planning services.

Another positive outcome this year was

the organisation of a range of activities

for National Week of Deaf People.

The Lismore Deaf Community put on a

fantastic local event celebrating deaf

culture, Auslan and everything that makes

the Deaf Community unique. There were

some great jokes and stories too.

Working with the Lismore Community


In what has been a year of transition for The

Deaf Society as we navigate the progression

of the National Disability Insurance Scheme

(NDIS), I would like to congratulate the

management team and staff of the Deaf

Society for delivering a commendable

financial result for 2016.

This year the Society incurred a deficit of

$146,619 (2015: $10,859 surplus). Total

comprehensive income (after including the

change in market value of investments held)

for the year was a deficit of $634,184 (2015:

$167,340 surplus) with revenue continuing

to grow this year to $6,798,631 (2014:

$6,113,236). At the end of the financial year,

the Society had net assets of $15,839,716

(2015: $16,473,900). I would sincerely like

to thank our supporters and commend

the efforts of our Directors and staff that

made these results possible. I would also

like to acknowledge the financial assistance

received from the Commonwealth and New

South Wales Governments, on which the

Society heavily relies.

The net income from fundraising initiatives

this year was $39,865 (2015: $32,517). I

would like to thank those individuals and

organisations who chose to support the

Society in this way.

The 2016 financial year marks the fourth

full year since the Society appointed its

investment advisors (Deutsche Bank and JB

Were). During the year, income generated

from investments totalled $686,700 (2015:

$833,488), with the value of investments

held declining by $487,565 (2015: $156,481

increase), supplemented by realised gains

of $244,391 (2015: $221,270) on the

sale of some investments. In what was a

challenging environment for investment

returns, the return (including franking

credits) on the Society’s externally managed

investment portfolio for the year, was

approximately 2.3%, below the CPI+5%

(6.0%) objective set out in the Investment

Policy. This was an acceptable result in the

context of a low interest rate environment,

in which the Reserve Bank of Australia

reduced the official cash rate twice over

the course of the financial year from 2.0%

to 1.5% (2015: reduced from 2.5% to 2.0%)

and follows three consecutive years in

which the investment return objectives

were exceeded.

This year’s total comprehensive income

of a $634,184 deficit (2015: $167,340

surplus) is reflective of the investment

the Society has made in readying itself for

an NDIS environment, to ensure it’s in a

position to continue providing services to

the Deaf Community into the future.

Along with the Society’s participation

in the NDIS NSW trial sites, the Board

continues to manage the Society’s response

to the transition in government funding

from a block funded model to a person

centred approach to funding under NDIS.

To enhance the Society’s growth and

capacity under the NDIS model, the Board

will continue to invest in strategies critical

to achieving sustainable growth and a

customer-centred approach.

Vivek Prabhu

Chair, Finance and Audit Committee

CHAIR, FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE'S REPORT


CORPORATE INFORMATION

ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2016

ABN 21 952 195 236

Directors

David Atkinson

Kenneth Deacon

Alastair McEwin

Vivek Prabhu

Susanne Alexandra Rae

Julie Tait

Todd James Wright

Evan Kidd

Elizabeth Wee

Brian Peter Halse

Frank Lawrence Peterson

Company Secretary

Louise Hicks

Registered Office and Principal Place

of Business

Suite 401 Level 4

69 Phillip Street

Parramatta NSW 2150

Bankers

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

90-92 Audley Road

Petersham NSW 2049

Investment Managers

JB Were

Level 42, Governor Phillip Tower

1 Farrar Place

Sydney NSW 2000

Deutsche Bank AG

Deutsche Bank Place

Level 16

Corner Phillip and Hunter Streets

Sydney NSW 2000

Auditor

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu

Eclipse Tower

Level 17

60 Station Street

Parramatta NSW 2150

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation Member of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited Page 8

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu ABN 74 490 121 060 Eclipse Tower Level 17 60 Station Street Parramatta NSW 2150 PO Box 38 Parramatta NSW 2124 Australia Tel: +61 (0) 2 9840 7000 Fax: +61 (0) 2 9840 7001 www.deloitte.com.au

12 October 2016 Dear Board Members

The Deaf Society In accordance with Subdivision 60-C of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012, I am pleased to provide the following declaration of independence to the directors of The Deaf Society. As lead audit partner for the audit of the financial statements of The Deaf Society for the financial year ended 30 June 2016, I declare that to the best of my knowledge and belief, there have been no contraventions of:

(i) the auditor independence requirements as set out in the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012 in relation to the audit; and

(ii) any applicable code of professional conduct in relation to the audit. Yours sincerely

DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU

David Black Partner Chartered Accountants

The Board of Directors The Deaf Society Level 4 69 Philip Street Parramatta NSW 2150

For the detailed financial report, visit our website www.deafsocietynsw.org.au.


2016 2015

$ $

Revenue 6,798,631 6,113,236

Investment gain 244,391 221,270

Employee benefits expense (4,868,683) (4,267,506)

Depreciation expense (52,235) (68,842)

Administrative expenses (450,442) (433,666)

Occupancy expenses (338,378) (379,695)

Consulting and marketing expenses (1,023, 937) (733,782)

Other expenses (455,966) (440,156)

(Deficit)/surplus for the year (146,619) 10,859

Other comprehensive income:

Items that may reclassified subsequently to profit or loss:

Fair value (loss)/gain on available-for-sale assets (487,565) 156,481

Total comprehensive (deficit)/surplus income for the year (634,184) 167,340

STATEMENT OF PROFIT OR LOSS AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2016

2016 2015

$ $

Current assets

Cash and bank balances 327,472 2,033,630

Trade and other receivables 846,774 514,684

Other financial assets 532,197 -

Other assets 174,441 112,737

Total current assets 1,880,884 2,661,051

Non-current assets

Other financial assets 15,875,400 15,836,625

Property, plant and equipment 132,681 234,305

Total non-current asset 16,008,081 16,070,930

Total assets 17,888,965 18,731,981

Current liabilities

Trade and other payables 1,546,375 1,793,276

Provisions 408,081 295,847

Total current liabilities 1,954,456 2,089,123

Non-current liabilities

Provisions 94,793 168,958

Total non-current liabilities 94,793 168,958

Total liabilities 2,049,249 2,258,081

Net assets 15,839,716 16,473,900

Equity

Reserves 6,593,350 7,080,915

Accumulated surplus 9,246,366 9,392,985

Total equity 15,839,716 16,473,900

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 30 JUNE 2016


Fundraising income excludes bequests, as it is not considered to represent income from active fundraising. There were no fundraising activities conducted jointly with traders.

Declaration by the President in respect of fundraising appealsI, Todd James Wright, Chair of The Deaf Society (previously known as The Deaf Society of NSW) declare, that in my opinion: (a) The accounts give a true and fair view of all income and expenditure of The Deaf Society with respect to fundraising appeals;(b) The statement of financial position gives a true and fair view of the state of affairs with respect to fundraising appeals;(c) The provision of the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW) and the regulations under the Act have been complied with;(d) The conditions attached to the authority have been complied with; and(e) The internal controls exercised by The Deaf Society are appropriate and effective in accounting for all income received and applied by the

Society from any of its fundraising appeals.

Todd James WrightChairSydney, 12 October 2016

DIRECTORS’ DECLARATION FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2016

The directors declare that:(a) in the directors’ opinion, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the company will be able to pay its debt as and when they become

due and payable; and(b) in the directors’ opinion, the attached financial statements and notes thereto are in accordance with the Australian Charities and Non-

for-profits Commission Act 2012 and the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW) including compliance with accounting standards and giving a true and fair view of the financial position and performance of the company.

Signed in accordance with a resolution of the directors made pursuant to s.60.15 of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Regulation 2013.

On behalf of the directors

Todd James Wright Vivek PrabhuChair Chair of Finance and Audit CommitteeSydney, 12 October 2016

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE OF FUNDRAISING APPEALS FOR THE YEAR 30 JUNE 2016

2016 2015

$ $

Income

Annual mail appeal - 1,678

Donations 39,965 30,838

Merchandise Sales 249 527

Total fundraising income 40,214 33,043

Expenditure

Postage, printing, stationary 2,245 2,578

Total cost of fundraising 2,245 2,578

Net Surplus 37,969 30,465

The surplus for the year is used to ameliorate the deficits incurred by the society in providing vital services, in particular support for members of the Deaf Community and their families in rural and regional areas. In 2016 year, the deficit amounted to $405,588 (2015: $210,411).

% %

Total cost of fundraising on fundraising income 6 8

Net surplus on fundraising income 94 92


Independent Auditor’s Report to the members of The Deaf Society

We have audited the accompanying financial report of The Deaf Society, which comprises the statement of financial position as at 30 June

2016, the statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, the statement of cash flows and the statement of changes in equity

for the year ended on that date, notes comprising a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information, and the

directors’ declaration as set out on pages 9 to 33. In addition, we have audited The Deaf Society’s compliance with specific requirements of

the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 for the year ended 30 June 2016.

Directors’ Responsibility for the Financial Report and for Compliance with the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991

The directors of the company are responsible for the preparation of the financial report that gives a true and fair view in accordance with

Australian Accounting Standards and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012 and for compliance with the Charitable

Fundraising Act 1991. The directors are also responsible for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable compliance

with requirements of the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 and the preparation of the financial report that gives a true and fair view and is free

from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

Auditor’s Responsibility

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the company’s compliance with specific requirements of the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991

and the financial report based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. Those standards

require that we comply with relevant ethical requirements relating to audit engagements and plan and perform the audit to obtain

reasonable assurance whether the entity has complied with specific requirements of the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 and the financial

report is free from material misstatement.

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the company’s compliance with specific requirements of the Charitable

Fundraising Act 1991 and amounts and disclosures in the financial report. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgement, including

the assessment of the risks of non-compliance with specific requirements of the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 and material misstatement

of the financial report, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control, relevant to the

company’s compliance with the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 and preparation of the financial report that gives a true and fair view, in order

to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of

the company’s internal control. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of

accounting estimates made by the directors, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial report.

Inherent Limitations

Because of the inherent limitations of any compliance procedure, it is possible that fraud, error, or noncompliance with the Charitable

Fundraising Act 1991 may occur and not be detected. An audit is not designed to detect all weaknesses in The Deaf Society’s compliance with the

Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 as an audit is not performed continuously throughout the period and the tests are performed on a sample basis.

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu A.B.N. 74 490 121 060

Eclipse Tower Level 17 60 Station Street Parramatta NSW 2150 PO Box 38 Parramatta NSW 2124 Australia

Tel: +61 2 9840 7000 Fax: +61 2 9322 7001 www.deloitte.com.au


Any projection of the evaluation of compliance with the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 to future periods is subject to the risk that the

procedures, may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with them may deteriorate.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

Auditor’s Independence Declaration

In conducting our audit, we have complied with the independence requirements of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act

2012.

Opinion

In our opinion:

(a) financial report of The Deaf Society is in accordance with Division 60 of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act

2012, including:

a. giving a true and fair view of the company’s financial position as at 30 June 2016 and of its performance and cash flows for the

year ended on that date; and

b. complying with Australian Accounting Standards and with Division 60 of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Regulation

2013;

(b) the financial report agrees to the underlying financial records of The Deaf Society, that have been maintained, in all material respects,

in accordance with the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 and its regulations for the year ended 30 June 2016; and

(c) monies received by The Deaf Society, as a result of fundraising appeals conducted during the year ended 30 June 2016, have been

accounted for and applied, in all material respects, in accordance with the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 and its regulations.

DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU

David Black

Partner

Chartered Accountants

Sydney, 18 October 2016


$1,000 AND OVER $500 AND OVER $200 AND OVER $100 AND OVERJ Church I H Campbell E Ash Anatolian CateringGoogle C Grace O Bolliger V BearL Jackson P Hunt V Caradus B BeaverNational Relay Service J Smith E Collings B BoyesSamsung J K Smith S Everson V CaradusL Wang Thrill Event P M Griffin N Colefax

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J PhillipeJ PutlandD RouvrayR Taplin

LIFE MEMBERS REGULAR MEMBERS Elizabeth Wee Kristen WhitelyA M Houen AM Adelaide Evan Kidd Louise HicksAdam Salzer Alastair McEwin Evelyn Christie Margaret DaleAlexandra Hynes Alex Jones Frances Whitley Margaret DayAnthony Gorringe OAM Alison Toft Frank L Peterson Margaret DrabschBarry Duggan Andrew Lucas George Krams Martin BuddBrian Surtees Andrew Wiltshire Gregory Faulks Mary CookBridget Carty Anne Woods Helen Nicholson Megan HannonColin Allen Anne M Smith Helen Trendos Michelle NorberryEthel Goff Anthony McKrodt Inge Jahn Megan HannonGeorge Barbouttis Arthur Liberale Jacqueline Endicott Michelle NorberryHarry Roberts Barbara Stathis Jennifer Lazarus Norma GiuffreMichael Hedley Betty O'Brien Jennifer Hannan Patricia MuttonNola Colefax OAM Bradley Trudgett Jitka Navratil Peter HannanPeter Miller Brendan McQuiggin John Gould Ron NicholsonRay Todd Brian Halse John Grant Rosalie KassulkeRay Whitten Brian Johnston John O'Neill Roy GoldringRon Bryant Bruce Drabsch Jordanna Smith Sharon NannSharon Everson Carol Tiley Judith Watson Sue RaeSteven Turner Charlene Grace Judy Clews Thomas Robson V D Bear Christian James Julie Tait Todd Wright

David Atkinson Kathy Wright Toni Rose RobsonDavid London Ken Deacon Vivek PrabhuDavid McQuiggin Kerry Priem Young-Joo ByunDennis Johnston Kevin Mitchell

MAJOR DONATIONS AND SPONSORS

MEMEBERS AS AT 30 JUNE 2016

The generosity of our present and past supporters has made our work possible. We place on record our sincere thanks and appreciation to

the many, many people who make our work possible.

Level 4, 69 Phillip Street Parramatta NSW 2150

Phone: (02) 8833 3600

SMS: 0427 741 420

Email: [email protected]

Skype: deafsocietyofnsw

Website: www.deafsocietynsw.org.au

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