Who gets to feel included in Australia?

As Australia enters a period of major national conversations around accessibility, participation and social inclusion, new research from The Australian National University (ANU) is exploring an important question: How do people’s worldviews and experiences shape the way they participate in Australian life?

The national research project is examining how Australians experience belonging, inclusion and participation across everyday life, with researchers particularly interested in ensuring people with disability are represented within the study. Importantly, the research is available in multiple languages, reflecting the diversity of Australian communities and aiming to broaden participation across different lived experiences and backgrounds.

Inclusion is not only shaped through policy. It is also shaped through how people experience community, communication, identity and connection within daily life. For Deafness Forum Australia, research like this matters because it contributes to a broader understanding of how Australians experience inclusion beyond statistics alone.

Whether through education, communication access, technology, workplaces or community life, participation is increasingly becoming one of the defining social conversations shaping Australia’s future. The ANU study is seeking responses from adult Australian citizens and permanent residents through an anonymous online survey exploring perspectives, experiences and ways of living in contemporary Australia.