Rage Community Outreach (RCO), in partnership with Phoenix Deaf Club, hosted a Deaf Awareness and Games Day on Saturday, 6 September, at the Liberty Hall in Avoca to celebrate Deaf Awareness Month.
The event was filled with fun and games, including soccer, volleyball, chess, cards, darts, board games, and novelty races. The day aimed to create a safe, fun, and inclusive space where the Deaf community could feel fully engaged and celebrated.
According to Ashlin Ellan, Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Non-Profit Company, Deaf individuals are too often excluded from mainstream community activities due to communication barriers. “Our goal was to bridge that gap—by raising awareness about Deaf culture, breaking down stereotypes, and promoting sign language as a valuable tool for inclusion. We also wanted to encourage social interaction through games and activities that everyone could enjoy, regardless of their hearing ability,” he said.
Ellan was impressed by the “overwhelmingly positive” response, noting that most participants found the event to be eye-opening and educational. The planning process began with a consultation with members of the Phoenix Deaf Club to ensure the activities would be engaging and accessible.
“We designed activities that focused on visual and physical interaction rather than sound-based cues, such as team games, relays, and sign-language-inclusive challenges,” Ellan explained. “One of the biggest challenges was sensitising hearing participants about Deaf culture. We addressed this by starting the day with an orientation on basic sign language and Deaf etiquette, which made the event flow smoothly.”
For Ellan, the event was about humanising the Deaf experience and teaching that Deaf people are not disabled, but capable, talented individuals who use a different language.
Keven Govender, Founder and Liaison Officer for Phoenix Deaf Club, said the event was about inclusion, awareness, and social cohesion. He explained that most of their members live in Avoca, and after learning about RCO’s community work, they decided to meet and collaborate on the initiative.
Govender described two heartwarming moments from the day. “The caretaker of the hall informed me that it was like we had brought his Deaf family from his country back to him because he was raised by a Deaf uncle and he had not seen so many deaf people under one roof. He felt special.” The second moment that stood out was when a Deaf participant who had won a volleyball game gave a sign language speech, asking why the community hadn’t formed a volleyball team to participate in tournaments.
Following the event, RCO made a heartfelt gesture by donating a Stihl 280 Brushcutter to the Phoenix Deaf Club, empowering the organisation with their garden service business.
