Drisana is the recipient of the 2015 Young Australian of the Year Award and WA Young Australian of the Year Award, in recognition of her passion and dedication in advocating for the human rights of deaf people. She raises awareness about Auslan (Australian Sign Language), and the right of deaf children in Australia to access Auslan from birth.
Drisana is the embodiment of the concept of ‘deaf gain’, not ‘hearing loss’, inspiring the deaf community, and encouraging the wider community to accept diversity. Drisana was the first deaf Auslan user to fulfil her civic duty as a juror, deliver a TEDx talk in Auslan and consistently promotes a positive image of deafness, which states loudly and proudly: It’s OK to be deaf. She is married to her handsome co-advocate Braam Jordaan.
She is an ambassador for Deaf Australia, Our Watch and Full Stop Foundation, and has been a board member of Western Australian Association of the Deaf since she was 16 years old, making her the youngest board member (and still is!). Drisana works as a motivational speaker, Auslan and accessibility consultant and provides workshops on various topics.
Drisana is currently a second-year student at the University of Western Australia, studying for her bachelor’s degree in two majors, Communication & Media Studies, and Law & Society.
She enjoys attending deaf community events locally, nationally and internationally, does the occasional Pilates class and tries her hand with homemade bath products such as bath bombs and bath salts for a relaxing night in!