Jody Saxton

Jody Saxton-Barney is a proud Urangin/Birri-Gubba Deaf woman from South East Queensland. Now living and working in rural Victoria, Jody is a descendent and survivor of the stolen generation, working to improve the quality of life and communication for Deaf Indigenous people. As a consultant in her own business ‘Deaf Indigenous Community Consultancy’, she continues her work to advocate and train services on how work can be culturally appropriate and effective. She is well known and well respected.

Jody has over the past 20 years been admired for her courage and determination to ensure that the voices and experiences of Indigenous people with disabilities are heard.

Jody’s leadership experience and qualities is widely recognised with invitations to participate in various boards, committees, forums and organisations both within and outside government. This extensive experience cuts across local, regional, state and national boundaries, for example, she is a council member with the Victorian Disability Advisory Council, a board member of the Victorian Women with Disability Network, the Victorian representative on the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Disability Network, a reference group member to the Victorian Equal Opportunity Human Rights Commission and the Attorney General’s report on rights for Youth and Children and also participates in various capacities in the Telstra Disability Forum, Australian Disability and Indigenous People’s Education Fund, CEDAW roundtable representative (Indigenous Women’s rights); Women’s Health Victoria and the Deaf Indigenous Network of which she was the founding member. To work amongst all of these groups Jody has established and experienced skills in networking and in effective communication.

Jody has specific knowledge and expertise in the following areas deaf awareness / cultural sign languages and protocols; education – special and youth at risk; welfare; community development; youth; disabilities; women; Indigenous issues; human rights; rural remote and regional issues; sexuality (same sex attracted issues); family and employment workplace training and assessment. Jody is frequently invited to speak at conferences and special events about these issues particularly from the perspective of people with disabilities. She also often speaks about the need for positive leadership and change.

Jody brings empathy, sensitivity, determination and thoughtfulness to all of the contributions that she makes and is admired by all those who work with her for these attributes.