History of Deaf Education Network (DEN)

DEN is the only Adult Education organisation specifically established to meet these adult learning needs of the Deaf Community in Australia.

DEN was established in 1983 as The Adult Education Centre for Deaf and Hearing Impaired Persons, (AEC), by the Concerned Deaf Group as a means of access for Deaf and hearing impaired adults into the Adult and Community Education sector.

At that time there was little opportunity for the Deaf people to have their say in how and what they wanted to learn. Deaf students learn and process information primarily by experiential and visual methodologies, rather than by auditory methods, as is the common teaching style in education today.

Focus was initially on community style hobby courses. In response to demand and increasingly competitive work environment and changing government direction, AEC grew, with its core business evolving to provide accredited and non-accredited vocational, literacy and lifestyle programs to deaf learners, inform teaching approaches, strategies and resources.

To compliment this, the organisation introduced an Auslan interpreting service. It also began providing non-accredited Auslan language programs for hearing learners, enabling hearing people to work within and provide support to the Deaf Community. DEN partners with other Community Colleges to deliver its community Auslan courses.

In 1995, AEC received two awards for programs it had developed:

NSW Adult Learners Week Award for Innovation and Commitment for Literacy and Numeracy
National Award of High commendation – Best Practice for it's residential workshop, Auslan Only Weekend

In 1996 AEC was renamed to Deaf Education Network (DEN). In line with the need to provide quality education for its students, DEN has gathered momentum and community awareness. (To see an explanation of DEN's logo, click here).

The following year DEN delivered its first Certificate in Auslan Training (CAT) course; an accredited Auslan teacher training certificate developed by DEN.

Having achieved Registered Training Organisation (RTO) status, in 1999 DEN commenced delivery of nationally-accredited Certificate II and III in Auslan qualifications.

In 2004 DEN first delivered Certificate IV in Auslan, becoming the only provider to offer this qualification in NSW.

In 2007 Deaf Education Network Inc merged with The Deaf Society of New South Wales and became the education department of the Deaf Society, (after the Deaf Society achieved RTO status to ensure DEN's on-going delivery of nationally-accredited qualifications).

In the same year, DEN became the first and only provider of the Diploma of Auslan in NSW.

In 2010 DEN was a key player in the process for reaccreditation of the Diploma of Auslan curriculum, (which includes Certificates II, III, and IV in Auslan). DEN staff were responsible for drafting the language modules for all of these qualifications.

Today, DEN remains active in the development of curricula and teaching materials for both accredited and non accredited training programs, innovative delivery strategies, research into deaf education and the assessment of literacy and communication skills of deaf adults. It maintains an up to date sense of best-practice through networking and joint projects with other major adult education institutions and the Deaf community.

Explanation of DEN logo

When The Adult Education Centre for Deaf and Hearing Impaired Persons was renamed to Deaf Education Network in 1996, a new slogan and a new logo were created.

Slogan:
The slogan was "connecting deaf and hearing people with education, employment and equality".

Logo Symbols:

	The fingerprint shows that DEN is unique, and values students' individual experiences and skills. The fingerprint is not fully inside the square because DEN is always creative and willing to fight for better education methods for Deaf people.

	Gold is for the sun, for life and the ability to change.

	Purple is for respect, dignity and Deaf pride.

	The row of little squares are like a film strip; a visual Deaf world. It is also like all the minority language communities in Australia. There is only one little yellow square – that is the Deaf Community; equal with all others, neither first nor last.

To see a more detailed explanation of the symbolism in DEN's logo, click here.