Logan is a city of opportunity, community and belonging but, for many Deaf residents, everyday life is also defined by barriers that hearing people rarely encounter, advocate for Deaf Australians Shawn Phua says.
Mr Phua founded business and consultancy service Auslanism to provides Auslan (Australian Sign Language) tutoring, workshops and disability accessibility consulting.
He said Logan has become a major hub for Queensland’s Deaf community.
Drawn by affordable housing and strong social networks, the city’s signing population has grown significantly over the past decade, he said.
Yet essential services have failed to keep pace, leaving many Deaf residents isolated from information, healthcare and public services, he said.
One of the most pressing issues is access to interpreters.
“There aren’t many face-to-face (Auslan) interpreters available in Logan City,” Mr Phua said.
“I only know that there are four to six full-time in the (Logan) interpreting community. So, there’s a lot of Deaf people competing for their time.”
The shortage often forces Deaf residents to seek interpreters from Brisbane, Ipswich, Redlands or the Gold Coast, adding significant travel costs and reducing the amount of support available through National Disability Insurance Scheme funding.
When Auslan interpreters are unavailable, many Deaf residents are pushed towards online alternatives.
However, technology is not always the solution it promises to be.
“In Logan, it’s probably the worst internet NBN Wi-Fi situation,” Mr Phua said.
“So that really affects the freezing of the interpreter on the screen.”
For Deaf people, communication access is not simply a matter of convenience.
It can affect healthcare appointments, employment opportunities, education and participation in everyday community life.
Mr Phua warns that when interpreting services are unavailable, some Deaf residents are forced to rely on non-fluent family members, Children of Deaf Adults, or friends to communicate on their behalf, undermining independence and privacy.
The consequences become even more serious during emergencies.
Logan has faced repeated flooding, severe storms and other natural disasters in recent years.
Yet Deaf residents say emergency communications often fail to meet their needs.
“When there’s emergencies, floods, cyclones, fire announcements, there’s no interpreters and sometimes the captions are incorrect,” said Mr Phua.
For many in the community, the experience of being excluded from critical information can be deeply distressing, as they miss out on essential announcements.
Mr Phua said many Deaf residents were also frustrated by businesses and organisations that expected them to arrange their own accessibility services.
“The Deaf community in Logan gets very offended and upset that they’re told, ‘Bring your own interpreter. Bring your own captioning service,’” he said.
“Imagine if you asked a person in a wheelchair to bring their own ramp. I mean, that’s just rude and upsetting.”
At the heart of the issue, Mr Phua said, was the need for greater understanding and respect.
“For years Deaf people have felt like second-class citizens,” he said.
“I would appreciate it if the wider community treated us with dignity. I think that’s an important element, that we are human.”
As Logan continues to grow, the city’s Deaf community is calling for more than improved services.
They are asking to participate fully in the life of their city, with the same opportunities afforded to everyone else.
This story is published ahead of Australia’s National Week of Deaf People (21-27 September 2026), an annual campaign highlighting Deaf culture, Auslan and the ongoing push for greater accessibility and inclusion.
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