Seven deaf children from across Australia and New Zealand shared their stories with national leaders at Power of Speech 2026, highlighting the importance of early intervention, family support and opportunities for deaf children to thrive.
On Tuesday, 13 October, Parliament House in Canberra welcomed seven young speakers from First Voice member centres across Australia and New Zealand for Power of Speech 2026.
Now in its tenth year, Power of Speech celebrates the confidence, individuality and achievements of deaf children, providing an opportunity for them to share their experiences and aspirations directly with Members of Parliament, community leaders and supporters.
Organised by The Shepherd Centre on behalf of First Voice, the event brought together children, families, clinicians, policymakers and representatives from across the hearing health sector to recognise the importance of access to specialist early intervention, hearing technology and family-centred support.
Seven young voices take centre stage
At the heart of Power of Speech were seven young speakers, each sharing their own experiences of growing up, from friendships and school to sport, music, dancing and the things they love.
This year’s speakers represented First Voice member centres across Australia and New Zealand:
- Hallie Childs, NextSense, NSW
- Morgan Yap, Can 4Kids, SA
- Archie Cavanagh, Hear and Say, QLD
- Jemma Robertson, TSH, WA
- Emerson Hand, The Hearing House, NZ
- Halle and Mia Shaw, The Shepherd Centre, NSW
Among them were sisters Mia, 13, and Halle, 12, from Wollongong, who represented The Shepherd Centre together on stage.
Both girls received hearing aids as babies and cochlear implants before turning three. With support from The Shepherd Centre’s Wollongong team, they developed their listening and spoken language skills throughout their early years.
Today, the sisters share a school, friends and a love of dancing. They affectionately call their cochlear implants their “buds”, short for buddies.
Reflecting on the importance of early support, Mia shared:
“I think every child with hearing loss should get that kind of help as early as possible, so they can grow up doing the things they love too. And be ready to go to school, just like any other kid.”
The event was hosted by 13-year-old Milly Collins from Hobart, who returned as Master of Ceremonies after previously representing The Shepherd Centre as a speaker at Power of Speech in 2024.
Milly’s own experience includes years of accessing specialist services through telehealth and interstate appointments before The Shepherd Centre opened its permanent Hobart centre earlier this year, bringing dedicated support closer to home.
Bringing children’s experiences to national leaders
Power of Speech provides an opportunity for national leaders to hear directly from deaf children about their experiences, achievements and aspirations.
Members of Parliament from across Australia attended the event, including The Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Ageing and Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and Melissa McIntosh MP, Shadow Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, who both delivered formal addresses.
Attendees also heard from David Brady, Director of Community Engagement at The Shepherd Centre and Advocacy and Government Engagement representative for First Voice, and Dig Howitt, CEO and President of Cochlear.
Dr Aleisha Davis, CEO of The Shepherd Centre and Co-Chair of First Voice, delivered the closing address.
The morning highlighted the value of bringing together children, families, clinicians, government representatives and hearing health organisations to strengthen understanding of the importance of early support and informed family choice.
Getting Loud for deaf children
With Power of Speech falling in the same week as Loud Shirt Day this year, the two First Voice initiatives came together under the 2026 theme, Get Loud.
Loud Shirt Day, held on Friday, 16 October, encourages schools, workplaces, families and communities across Australia and New Zealand to wear their brightest clothing and raise awareness and funds for specialist early intervention services for deaf children.
Together, these initiatives help build understanding and celebrate the importance of connection, communication and inclusion.
The experiences shared by the young speakers at Parliament House were a wonderful reflection of what early access to specialist support, hearing technology and family-centred services can make possible.
Celebrating a memorable Power of Speech 2026
The Shepherd Centre was proud to organise this year’s event on behalf of First Voice, bringing together children and families from across Australia and New Zealand for a special morning at Parliament House.
The event was made possible with the generous support of Cochlear, the official event sponsor, alongside the contributions of First Voice member centres and everyone involved in bringing the event together.
Above all, Power of Speech 2026 was a celebration of the seven young speakers and their families, whose stories highlighted the confidence, individuality and potential of deaf children.
Their experiences also reinforced the importance of ensuring families can access timely, high-quality specialist support, wherever they live.
Watch Power of Speech 2026
Missed the livestream or want to revisit the highlights?
Watch the Power of Speech 2026 livestream here or view the event photo gallery here.
