About

Building Australia’s Communication‑Access Future

Signbridge Inc is Australia’s first communication‑access sector architect, designing the systems, standards, and tools that ensure every person — Deaf, Hard of Hearing, non‑verbal, neurodivergent, or communication‑diverse — can participate fully in community life. Our work is grounded in dignity, equity, and the belief that communication should never be a barrier to belonging.

Our Purpose

We exist to build the national infrastructure that makes communication accessibility real, practical, and universal. This includes the Communication Accessibility Management System (CAMS), the SPACE Framework, and a growing ecosystem of tools, audits, and community programs.

Our purpose is simple: To remove communication barriers everywhere they appear — in government, workplaces, services, community spaces, and everyday interactions.

What We Do

Signbridge designs and delivers the systems that make communication access possible at scale:

• National standards — CAMS Core Standard + sector annexes

• Certification & audits — tools for organisations to measure and improve

• Communication‑safe pathways — multimodal access for all users

• Training & community programs — including Auslan practice groups

• Infrastructure innovation — such as Auracast‑ready venue guidance

• Lived‑experience governance — ensuring systems reflect real needs

We work across government, community, and industry to build a communication‑accessible Australia.

Why We Exist

Australia has no national communication‑access standard. No unified system. No consistent way for organisations to ensure communication is safe, equitable, and inclusive.

This gap leaves millions of Australians navigating services that were never designed with them in mind.

Signbridge exists to change that — by building modular, scalable, evidence‑based systems that any organisation can adopt.

Our Story

Signbridge began as a small community initiative supporting Auslan learners and Hard of Hearing adults. As the work grew, so did the realisation that the problem was bigger than individual support — it was systemic.

There were no standards. No tools. No national framework. No lived‑experience‑led architecture for communication access.

So we built one.

Today, Signbridge is a national‑scale standards originator, designing the systems that government, organisations, and communities need to ensure communication access for all.

Our Values

Everything we build is grounded in:

• Dignity — every person deserves to be understood

• Equity — removing barriers, not placing burdens

• Clarity — communication that is predictable and accessible

• Justice — fair access to services, information, and participation

• Community — belonging through shared communication culture

• Compassion in action — accessibility as practical care

These values shape every standard, every audit, every tool, and every interaction.

Our Systems

Signbridge is the originator of:

• CAMS — Communication Accessibility Management System Australia’s first national communication‑access standard

• SPACE Framework A universal model for communication‑safe design

• CAGS‑01 Garment Standard The world’s first communication‑access garment system

• Signbridge Audit Method A lived‑experience‑led audit ecosystem for organisations

• Communication‑Safe Contact Pathways Tools for non‑verbal, Deaf, HoH, and neurodivergent users

These systems form the foundation of a communication‑accessible Australia.

Who We Serve

Signbridge works with:

• Individuals — Deaf, HoH, non‑verbal, neurodivergent, communication‑diverse

• Government agencies — seeking compliance, safety, and inclusion

• Community organisations — churches, clubs, councils, venues

• Businesses — improving customer communication access

• Support workers & professionals — building communication‑safe practice

Our systems are designed for everyone — because communication access is for everyone.

Our Vision

A future where communication accessibility is:

• expected, not exceptional

• designed‑in, not added‑on

• national, not optional

• lived‑experience‑led, not imposed

• universal, not selective

A future where every person can participate fully, safely, and confidently — no matter how they communicate.

Join Us

Signbridge is building the communication‑access infrastructure Australia has been missing. We invite individuals, organisations, and government partners to work with us in creating a more inclusive, equitable, and communication‑safe nation.

 Welcome Message from the Founder

Welcome to Signbridge Inc. I’m Les, and I’m grateful you’ve found your way here.

Signbridge began with a simple belief: everyone deserves to feel understood, included, and confident when communicating.
Over the years, I’ve met families, carers, volunteers, and community members who wanted to learn Auslan or support Deaf and Hard‑of‑Hearing people but didn’t know where to start. Many felt isolated, unsure, or overwhelmed by traditional learning environments.

So we created something different — a gentle, visual, community‑focused space where people can learn at their own pace, ask questions freely, and feel supported every step of the way.

At Signbridge Inc, we build bridges of communication, not just through Auslan, but through connection, encouragement, and shared learning. Whether you’re here to learn a few signs, access visual tools, join a workshop, or simply explore, you’re welcome. You belong here.

Thank you for being part of this growing community. Together, we’re creating a world where communication is accessible, relationships are strengthened, and everyone has a place at the table.

Warmly, Les Hoppe Founder, Signbridge Inc

Communication - Battle Boards.

 Signbridge Inc & Australia’s Disability Strategy: Leading the Way

Signbridge Inc is not just aligned with the "Australia’s Disability Strategy" — we are already delivering the kind of inclusive, communication‑first practices the Strategy calls for. While the Strategy sets a national vision for accessible communities, Signbridge is actively building them through our SPACE Program, our Auslan‑centred learning circles, and our visual communication systems that remove barriers before they appear.

Where the Strategy emphasises co‑design, participation, and accessible communication, Signbridge has already embedded these principles into everyday practice. Our work with Deaf and Hard of Hearing community members, families, carers, and support workers demonstrates what the Strategy looks like when it is lived out locally — practical inclusion, community capability building, and universal design in action.

By creating resources, workshops, and environments that are immediately usable, culturally respectful, and visually accessible, Signbridge is showing what’s possible when organisations move beyond compliance and into innovation-led inclusion. We’re not waiting for change — we’re modelling it.

A Story About SPACE 

How Signbridge Learns, Connects, and Builds Belonging

At Signbridge, we believe learning Auslan isn’t just about memorising signs — it’s about building bridges. One evening, a young person named Sam joined our beginner group.
He was nervous. “I’m not sure I’ll get it,” he said, eyes darting between hands and faces.

But the room was built on SPACE.

We started with Safe Space — no pressure, no perfection. Sam saw others laugh gently when they forgot a sign, and he relaxed. Then came Practice & Play — we moved, mimed, repeated, and explored. Sam’s hands began to speak. With Access & Awareness, he learned that pointing, gesture, and expression were powerful tools. “Even when I forget the sign,” he said, “I can still show what I mean.” Through Connection & Community, Sam found belonging. He signed “FRIEND” to someone across the circle — and they signed it back. And by the end of the night, he used Everyday Use to ask “TOILET WHERE?” in Auslan — and understood the answer.

Sam left smiling. “I didn’t just learn signs,” he said. “I learned how to connect.”

That’s what SPACE is. It’s how we learn together — visually, safely, and with heart. It’s how we build confidence, clarity, and community. And it’s how Signbridge helps people feel seen, heard, and included.