What is First Voice?

First Voice is a group of five committed organisations that teach deaf and hearing impaired infants and children how to listen and speak.

These organisations include:


  • Hear and Say Centre, Queensland and NT

    A leading paediatric auditory-verbal and cochlear implant centre, The Hear and Say Centre has been teaching children who are deaf or hearing impaired to listen and speak since 1992. The centre is a charity based in Brisbane that operates regional centres on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Townsville and Toowoomba and an outreach program for rural and remote children.


  • Taralye, Victoria and Tasmania

    Taralye, the oral language centre for deaf children, is Victoria’s leading oral language centre that provides services to deaf and hearing impaired children and their families throughout the State. Taralye is a not-for-profit located in Blackburn, Victoria, which offers a range of programs from early intervention and early childhood programs.


  • Telethon Speech and Hearing, Western Australia

    Established in 1967, Telethon Speech and Hearing is a long established non-profit that teaches children with speech and language or hearing impairments to listen and speak. Located at Wembley, the centre offers playgroup, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and pre-primary programs as well as support programs for school-aged children.


  • Cora Barclay Centre, South Australia

    The Cora Barclay Centre provides family centred auditory-verbal therapy for children who are deaf or hearing impaired. Centrally located in North Adelaide, the centre offers auditory-verbal therapy, music and parent infant programs for 0-6 year olds and specialist support services for school students up to the age of 18 years


  • The Shepherd Centre, New South Wales
    and ACT

    The Shepherd Centre teaches deaf and hearing impaired children how to listen and speak. Established in 1970, The Shepherd Centre operates five centres in New South Wales and the ACT. Centres are located at Darlington, Liverpool, Roseville, Wollongong and Canberra. The Shepherd Centre also works with families in rural and remote areas and overseas via its residential workshop and correspondence programs

Each of these centres are staffed by professionals with expertise in audiology, speech therapy, family therapy, counseling and early childhood education.

Listening and spoken language therapy services are provided for hearing impaired children from birth to five years. Some member organisations also support children on their journey through school.

Hearing loss is one of the very few disabilities that can be all but overcome with early detection and intensive intervention.

The intensive family-based therapy programs mean that 9 in 10 of children going through these centres enter mainstream education with their hearing peers. (Those that don’t usually have additional disabilities.)

It can be done! Deaf children can learn to speak. And you can help.