- WA Deaf Society

Deaf
Magazine
DECEMBER 2015
www.wadeaf.org.au
Advocacy
Auslan Language Centre
Children
Community
Employment
Interpreting
Regional
Seniors
Youth
National Week of Deaf People 2015
The Western Australian Association of the Deaf (WAAD) organised the National Week of Deaf People
which (NWDP) was celebrated from Saturday, 17 November to Friday, 23 October. The theme of
the week was “With Sign Language Rights, Our Children Can”. NWDP was made possible thanks to
a Lotterywest grant and the NWDP Sub-committee who volunteered their time to make the week a
success.
Contlnued >> P4
Contents
CEO’s Report ........................................................ 2 - 3
46/5 Aberdeen Street East Perth WA 6004
PO Box 8558 Perth BC WA 6849
TTY 08 9441 2655 / Tel 08 9441 2677
Fax 08 9441 2616
E-mail [email protected]
www.wadeaf.org.au
www.facebook.com/wadeaf
National Week of Deaf People .............................4 - 5
Sign Language Communications............................. 6
DEAFinite Employment Service................................ 7
Fundraising & Marketing ........................................ 8
Community Services ........................................... 8 -13
Community News ............................................ 14 - 19
CEO’s Report
As you’ll read throughout this issue of Deaf Magazine it’s been a
very active three months at the WA Deaf Society!
Clint Ford
We have welcomed two new board members,
Clint Ford and Kathleen Bozanic, who have
volunteered to share their time and considerable
skills with us. Clint is a Senior Consultant with
Riley Mathewson Public Relations whilst Kathleen
is the General Manager - Finance at Atlas Iron
and a former Partner at Deloitte. Kathleen joins
as the Treasurer for WA Deaf Society and will
head up the Audit, Investment & Risk Committee.
Clint will head up our new Marketing, Advocacy &
Fundraising Committee.
Kathleen Bozanic
Your board held a retreat in October to continue the strategic planning process begun in April. It was
particularly pleasing that the second day of the retreat began with the board attending the wonderful
Western Australian launch of the National Week of Deaf People 2015, held at Fremantle Prison on
Saturday, 17 October. In particular, the presentations by three parents, one the Deaf parent of a Deaf
child, one the hearing parent of a Deaf child and one the Deaf parent of a hearing child, provided a
powerful context for later discussions. It was also a great reminder of the importance of our LEAP
program and the imperative to improve funding for our Auslan for Families program.
It was fantastic to see a much bigger turnout and member interest at our Annual General Meeting
held on Thursday, 15 October. This was particularly fitting as we inducted three new Life Members;
Murray Nicholson, Robyn Tsapazi and Dr Karen Bontempo. These are our first new Life Members
since John Levitzke in 2008. The AGM also saw the launch of our 2014/2015 Annual Report, which
you can check out online at www.wadeaf.org.au/wa-deaf-society/wads-annual-report/.
Life Members;
Robyn Tsapazi
Murray Nicholson
Dr Karen Bontempo
I congratulate the Western Australian Association of the Deaf, and particularly the tireless organising
committee of the National Week of Deaf People 2015 WA, for a fantastic week of activities. It was
great to see so much support behind all the activities with many sold-out events a testament to the
team having burned the midnight oil to make it such a success. Lots more on this elsewhere in the
magazine.
Worldwide Online Printing Perth QV.1
is proud to support WA Deaf Society
(08) 9226 2744
QV1 Retail (Opp. QV1 Building)
976 Hay Street Perth 6000
PERTH QV1
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[email protected]
www.worldwide.com.au
CEO’s Report
We were fortunate to receive fantastic support
from the Hon. Martin Pritchard MLC who made
a Member’s Statement on the National Week
of Deaf People in the Upper House of the WA
Parliament on Wednesday, 21 October. You can
find the statement as an extract from Hansard on
our website at www.wadeaf.org.au including an
Auslan translation. We have also had excellent
support over many years from our previous
President, the Hon. Tony James Simpson MLA,
Minister for Local Government; Community
Services; Seniors and Volunteering; Youth.
Support for the Deaf community is clearly an area
for bipartisan cooperation and we will continue to
foster these links.
Over the last 18 months or so there has been considerable discussion about the future of our
operations at our current premises at 46/5 Aberdeen Street in East Perth. I am pleased to advise that
we plan to continue at this location, and excited that we will be able to continue all of the fantastic
initiatives made possible by our Deaf Community Centre. To help cover the costs of remaining in
our current location we have taken on Vision Australia Radio 990 Perth as a tenant in the rear office
space.
We welcome Haley Hibbitt in the new role of Fundraising & Marketing Manager working with Linda
Cross as the dynamic duo to build up this important function and support the sustainability of the WA
Deaf Society. Haley joins us with marvellous experience from Youth Focus and Anglicare WA and
formal marketing qualifications from Curtin University. You can read more about Haley later in this
edition of Deaf Magazine.
WA Deaf Society will continue to offer the highest quality interpreting services through SLC WA,
a responsive employment service through DEAFinite and a range of crucial services through our
dedicated Community Services group. We ask you to continue to use and recommend these services
for the future of the Society.
Finally from all of us here at the WA Deaf Society, we wish you and your loved ones a happy and safe
time over this Christmas and new year season. Enjoy reading the rest of the magazine.
Mark Gummer
Chief Executive Officer
PS: Please, keep checking the website www.wadeaf.org.au for news, Like us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/WADeaf and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WADeafSociety.
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National Week of Deaf People 2015
Sunday 18 October
Kanyana Wildlife
Rehabilitation Park Tour
Saturday 17 October
Launch at Fremantle Prison
Saturday 17 October
Fremantle Prison Tour
The launch of the NWDP was
held at Fremantle Prison in the
Crown Theatre. Three parents
were invited to share their
experience about having Auslan
(Australian Sign Language)
as the main language in their
family. We also had the 2015
Young Australian of the Year,
Drisana Levitzke-Gray, to
launch the National Week of
Deaf People.
A group of Deaf community
members had a tour at the
Fremantle Prison after the
launch. Handheld guides which
provided information in Auslan
which was wonderful, especially
as Fremantle Prison is a World
Heritage-listed site.
Monday 19 October
Perth Observatory Night Tour
Wednesday 21 October
Government House Tour for
Deaf Seniors
Wednesday 21 October
Parliament House Tour for
Deaf Youth
Deaf Seniors from the WA
Deaf Society 50+ Club had
a tour at Government House
and had morning tea with Her
Excellency the Honourable
Kerry Sanderson AO, Govenor
of western Australia.
Deaf youth from Shenton
College Deaf Education Centre
and Belmont City College
Deaf Unit visited Parliament
House for a tour. They then had
morning tea with the Hon Tony
Simpson MLA and WAAD board
members.
We hosted a night tour at the
Perth Observatory which was
enjoyed by all. It was a fantastic
opportunity for attendees to
receive information via Auslan
about our universe. Many were
thrilled to discuss the universe
with the tour guides. We also
had the opportunity to see the
moon via telescope up close!
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We had the Kanyana Wildlife
Rehabilitation Centre Tour with
Auslan interpreters to provide
access to information about the
centre. Our group of attendees
enjoyed meeting the animals
and learning about how the park
operates by looking after sick or
injured wildlife.
National Week of Deaf People 2015
Wednesday 21 October
Professional Evening with
Young Australian of the Year
Thursday 22 October
Open Captioned movie at
Garden City HOYTS
Friday 23 October
May the Best Sporting Team
Win
We had the Professional
Evening with the 2015 Young
Australian of the Year, Drisana
Levitzke-Gray. She gave a
presentation about her journey
since being named the Young
Australian of the Year on 25
January.
We had a screening of the open
captioned ‘Bridge of Spies’
which brought in a recordbreaking number of attendees
to the cinema. It’s great to have
so many people get together for
something that is only provided
during this one week out of the
whole year.
May The Best Sporting Team
Win has always been a popular
event and was enjoyed by
everyone who attended. Thanks
to WAAD and the WADRA
board who volunteered their
time to referee the games.
These fantastic free colourful
posters are available to download
for display.
Feel free to use these posters
in schools, childcare centres,
workplaces, in the home, share
with friends and family and more!
Free Auslan Posters are
available on http://www.waad.org.
au/free-auslan-posters
Please click on the links for PDF
versions.
5
SLC WA News
SLC WA is delighted to welcome back Bookings Officer, Alison Kingston after her 4 week holiday
visiting Mexico (Oaxaca and Cancun) and America (Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Route
66, Salton Sea, Palm Springs, San Diego, San Francisco). It was a busy holiday - 13 flights, 2 road
trips and 10 different locations in 4 weeks! Alison was travelling with her sister, Rebecca.
Alison’s favourite memories of her holiday were seeing all the old Zapotec, Aztec and Mayan ruins in
Mexico. Alison has always loved history and in particular Aztec/Mayan history so seeing the ruins for
herself was a dream come true! She also loved being in Oaxaca for the colourful Dia de los Muertos
Festival (Day of the Dead) and flying in a helicopter over the Grand Canyon.
Her worst memory was catching a taxi in Los Angeles one night, she couldn’t find one for a long time
and when she finally found one at the end of the ride her travel credit card wouldn’t work and she had
no cash, so she couldn’t pay the taxi driver. She had to ask him to drive around looking for an ATM
and when she found one it wouldn’t work. Alison didn’t know what would happen if she couldn’t pay, it
was very scary! But she finally got the ATM to work :-)
Alison was glad she took her sister with her and was courageous enough to eat Grasshoppers. Alison
wished she’d remembered to take more warm clothes.
While she was away the Bookings Office was covered by Cara, Cat, Sarah and Rachel who all took
turns doing a great job to keep interpreter bookings running smoothly. Alison would like to say thank
you to the whole SLC office team for doing such an amazing job covering for her while she was away
and thank you to the interpreters for being flexible during this time, dealing with someone new in the
office each day. The team is delighted that Alison has arrived back safely and are looking forward to
hearing more about her fantastic adventure.
SLC WA Contact Details
Office hours 9am - 5pm weekdays
Phone 08 9441 2623
Email [email protected]
SMS 0433 155 288
TTY (08) 9441 2655 Fax (08) 9441 2600
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EMERGENCY INTERPRETER
5pm - 9am weekdays, weekends & public holidays
0410 017 540 SMS and voice calls
DEAFinite Employment Service News
It’s been a busy time at DEAFinite since our last DEAF MAG.
Staff have been busy with new clients and a large volume of new job placements.
DEAFinite have rolled out their School Student Catchment
program and have been busy working in conjunction with
local schools to assist students transitioning from high school
into the working world. A group of students from Shenton
College visited the office recently and had a tour of the WA
Deaf Society, meeting staff and learning about the services
the Society provides. It was great to meet the students and we
look forward to assisting them into the workforce in the future.
Shenton College students visit the WA Deaf Sopciety
The DEAFinite Team would like to welcome its newest team member Carla Ford.
Carla has worked with DEAFinite over the past few years as an employer and
joins the team with an enthusiastic drive to assist the WA Deaf Community with
their employment needs and questions. I’m sure you will all join me in welcoming
Carla to the team.
Carla Ford
DEAFinite have officially moved offices.
After many weeks of cleaning and
reorganising, the new DEAFinite office is
up and running. It’s been a lot of work to
move into our new space and the team
are really happy with their new home. I’d
like to thank the team for their hard work
during the transition. Next time you are in
the office pop your head in and check out
the new office.
The DEAFinite team continues to work tirelessly, supporting clients looking for work and those clients
that need support and advice while in the workplace. If you have issues in your workplace or need
advice on a situation, come in and see us in the office or contact us at [email protected] The team
are only too happy to assist you.
Until next time.
Peter Meredith
Manager
DEAFinite Employment Service
DEAFinite is funded by the Federal
Government to provide a specialist
employment service to Western
Australia jobseekers who are Deaf
or hard of hearing.
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DEAFinite Employment Service
Contact Details
Tel 08 9441 2677
Fax 08 9441 2629
TTY 08 9441 2655
E-mail [email protected]
www.wadeaf.org.au
Fundraising & Marketing News
New Team Member, Haley Hibbitt
I’ve recently joined the WA Deaf Society in the position
of Fundraising & Marketing Manager and I’m loving it!
My role was created to help promote WA Deaf and raise
funds so that we can provide more services for the Deaf
community. Prior to working at WA Deaf I’ve worked in
various marketing and fundraising roles, from Federal
Government to large corporations and the not-for-profit
sector. Most recently I was the Fundraising Manager
for Youth Focus, a charity which provides suicide
prevention services for young West Aussies.
I’m loving working with Linda Cross and our fantastic
volunteers and I’m really enjoying getting to know the
rest of the team at WA Deaf and all of our members and
visitors. I’m looking forward to meeting those of you who
I haven’t yet had the chance to meet.
In January I will take part in the Auslan Basics Summer
School and I can’t wait! Hopefully I will meet some more
of you there.
WA Deaf Society Fundraising & Marketing manager,
Haley Hibbitt and her husband Wes Hibbitt.
Outside of work, my big loves are netball, travel, my
husband Wes and my dogs, Indi the Siberian Husky and
Bear the German Shepherd.
I hope you and your loved ones all have a safe and
happy Christmas and New Year.
WADS Community Services News
TAX Help 2015
WA Deaf Society were pleased to provide Tax Help
again this year, running from 4 August to 20 October
2015.
WADS would like to thank Edwin Tan, our Tax Help
volunteer, who assisted Deaf and hard of hearing
clients with their tax returns.
Edwin and Jenny Pupich has received a Certificate of
Appreciation from the Australian Taxation Office.
Jenny Pupich, Vic Mazzone (Australian Taxation
Office), Edwin Tan and Helen Gunter (Australian
Taxation Office).
We are hoping to offer Tax Help again next year from
July to October so look out for the information in
future Deaf magazines.
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WADS Community Services News
LEAP (Language Early Access Program)
Here we are at the end of another year and what a year it has been. The first half of the year was a
bit of an emotional roller coaster with the uncertainty over LEAP’s future and then the wonderful news
that our funding was to be renewed.
As always the year has been absolutely jam packed full of activities, fun and laughter. We have been
running a year long parent directed theme of the alphabet. The parents picked this theme as they
wanted the children to learn their manual alphabet. I have been amazed, and reminded at so many
points throughout the year, just how clever children are. Watching toddlers recegnising English letters
and then producing the Auslan sign for them is very special.
Term 4 has seen us finishing up our alphabet theme. Some memorable activities from the term
so far have been, X for Xray and Y for Yacht. Xray was an interesting activity where we made a
life size “xray” and gave the children cotton tips to stick on top of the drawings of bones. For Y we
made Yachts out of milk cartons and sailed them in our water table. The children were parricularly
interested in this activity as it involved water!
LEAP was also lucky to be included in the Woolworths Earn and Learn program this year. I want to
thank everyone who helped by sending in reward stickers. We collected almost 2000 stickers and
were able to use our points to purchase some wooden animals.
Looking back on the year, I think the highlight for me was seeing the increase in Deaf children
attending the program. It is always a joy watching these children develop their communication, skills
whether it is solely Auslan or a mixture of Auslan and English. We always want to a make a difference
in the lives of deaf children and deaf families, so if you know of anyone who you think could benefit
from joining the LEAP program, please ask them to contact us here at the WA Deaf Society.
I’m looking forward to next year and the possibilities it brings with a new theme and new activities
and the impact Nobuo and I will make in the lives of the families we work with. From all of us at LEAP
we want to wish everyone a Merry and Safe Christmas and New Year’s period.
Sarah Morton
LEAP Coordinator
WA Deaf Society Contact Details
TTY 08 9441 2655
Tel 08 9441 2677
Fax 08 9441 2616
E-mail [email protected]
www.wadeaf.org.au
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www.facebook.com/wadeaf
WADS Community Services News
Registering with the NDIS / NDIS My Way
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is the government system for providing people
with disability the support they need. Deaf people, deafblind people, and parents of deaf children,
can apply to get support through the NDIS. Support can be for services like interpreting or Auslan
lessons, or assistance to connect with the community, live independently or develop new skills.
The NDIS is currently being trialled in 3 areas around WA.
1. Perth Hills Trial Site - under the Federal Government model, called the NDIS.
2. The Lower South West - under the State Government model, called NDIS My Way
3. Cockburn/Kwinana – under NDIS My Way
Deaf or Deafblind people, or parents with a deaf child, who live in a trial site for either model and
meet the eligibility criteria are able to apply to join the NDIS or NDIS My Way. The eligibility criteria
are the same for both models.
For people living in the trial sites:
What are the steps for joining the NDIS?
1. Check your eligibility
NDIS www.ndis.gov.au/ndis-access-checklist or
NDIS My Way www.dsc.wa.gov.au/Am_I_Eligible/
Eligibility criteria
1. Australian resident
2. Under 65 years of age at the time of registering
3. Live in one of the trial site areas
4. Have a disability (Deafness/Deafblindness) that is likely to be permanent and stops you
from doing everyday things by yourself.
If you have a child under the age of 6 who meets criteria 1, 3 and 4, they may be eligible for
NDIS early intervention services.
2. Complete an Access Request Form
www.ndis.gov.au/sites/default/files/Factsheet-Completing-your-access-request-form.pdf
When you complete the Access Request Form you need to show evidence of your age, where you
live, your residency or citizenship status, and evidence of a disability.
If you have a Centrelink number, you can give permission for the National Disability Insurance
Agency (NDIA) to check your records to verify your eligibility. If not, you will need to bring documents,
or copies of documents, as proof of your eligibility. Some example documents are:
• home address - bills or rates notices that show your address
• residency or citizenship –your birth certificate or passport
• age –your birth certificate, passport or driver’s licence
• disability - if you or your child is Deaf, you will also need to provide evidence of a disability.
You can complete the Professional’s Report section in the Access Request Form, or provide
the same evidence in a different format, such as copies of existing assessments and reports.
People who have the diagnosis of Deafblindness do not need to provide additional evidence of
their disability.
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WADS Community Services News
What does ‘evidence’ mean?
• For a Deaf child – please bring a copy of their audiology report or other assessments.
• For a Deaf adult – if you have recent* audiograms or other assessments, bring copies of
these.
*If you do not have any recent reports or assessments you will need to have your doctor
complete the Professional’s Report section in the Access Request Form. Please contact WA
Deaf Society if you require any help with this.
When you have completed the Access Request Form this should be handed in at the NDIA office, or
posted to the address supplied.
The NDIA team will then assess your eligibility which could take several weeks. If you are found to be
eligible, someone will contact you to start the planning and assessment process.
3. Start the planning and assessment process
www.ndis.gov.au/participants/getting-plan-ready
NDIS plans are developed for a twelve month period. They are then reviewed and a new plan
developed for the next twelve months.
A planner will be appointed to assist you to identify your goals for the long term as well as the twelve
months of your plan. These goals, and the strategies and services required to achieve them, will be
written up as your Plan. This can be a complicated process.
For NDIS My Way:
The process for NDIS My Way is similar to NDIS. Information about applying can be found online at
www.disability.wa.gov.au/Global/Publications/WA-NDIS-My-Way/Fact%20Sheets%202015/WA-NDISMy-Way-brochure.pdf
For people not in a Trial Site:
The Federal Government will commence a full roll out of either the NDIS or NDIS My Way in 2016-17.
You can begin preparing for this now:
1. Register with the DSC (Disability Service Commission) and get an LAC (Local Area
Coordinator). An LAC may be able to help you access services while waiting for the NDIS
If you are already registered with DSC, you will be registered for NDIS when it comes.
2. Start planning - think of goals and services you may want under NDIS.
How can WA Deaf Society assist you?
WA Deaf Society is a registered provider under the NDIS and NDIS My Way and can provide you with
support for the registration and planning process if you meet the eligibility criteria. Please contact
Kerry Revell at [email protected],au if you would like assistance with NDIS or NDIS My Way
registration or planning.
WADS will be hosting information sessions about the NDIS and NDIS My Way in the New Year.
Please keep an eye on our website and Facebook for dates.
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WADS Community Services News
On Thursday, 12 November, 50 Deaf seniors from WA Deaf Society’s 50+ Club and the WA Deaf Recreation
Association (WADRA) were joined by 20 first year students from the Central Institute of Technology (CIT),
currently studying Certificate III in Auslan, for a special lunchtime event. The event was hosted by WADS and
WADRA and celebrated the Seniors Week 2015 theme, “Celebrating Deaf Seniors: Strengthening Connections,
Strengthening Community”.
Twelve Deaf seniors and 3 staff participated in video interviews with 8 students, sharing their opinions about
the values that help make the Deaf community strong. Seniors also had the chance to chat casually with the
remaining students, and in the process, educate them about the Deaf community and what they feel remains
important in an ever-changing world.
Each year Seniors Week grant funding is offered by Lotterywest, the Department of Local Government and
Communities and COTA. This year, the WA Deaf Society was lucky to be the recipient of a larger grant than in
previous years, allowing us to provide an intergenerational event which aimed to link seniors to the broader
community. The additional grant funding enabled more money to be spent on the lunch, and importantly,
providing additional funding to produce an accessible DVD of the interviews in Auslan, with English captions
and voice over.
The increased Seniors Week funding also enabled 2 Auslan interpreters to mingle and facilitate communication
between the students, seniors and staff. Feedback from the seniors has been positive with comments like,
“it was a great way to educate the students about the Deaf community” and “I would be happy to take part
again.”
Everyone had a great time and told us they hope activities promoting the links between CIT and the Deaf
community can be continued.
Thanks to Lotterywest, the Department of Local Government and Communities and COTA, for making the
event possible.
The annual Seniors Week Lunch is open to Deaf seniors who meet the designated age criteria and who are
financial members of both WADS and WADRA.
If you are interested in finding out more about Seniors Week, please contact Jenny Pupich at
SMS: 0414 853 521 / TTY: 9441 2655
Voice: 08 9441 2677 / FAX 9441 2616
WA Deaf Society Contact Details
TTY 08 9441 2655
Tel 08 9441 2677
Fax 08 9441 2616
E-mail [email protected]
www.wadeaf.org.au
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www.facebook.com/wadeaf
WADS Community Services News
WA Deaf Society Contact Details
TTY 08 9441 2655
Tel 08 9441 2677
Fax 08 9441 2616
E-mail [email protected]
www.wadeaf.org.au
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www.facebook.com/wadeaf
Community News
Western Australian Association of the Deaf (WAAD)
Auslan Professional Network
On Sunday, 13 September Damon Barrett and Patricia Levitzke-Gray presented at the Auslan
Professionals Network on:
1. Are you fire alarms working? - Damon Barrett
2. Travelling with Deaf tour guides - Patricia Levitzke-Gray
On 4 October Brooke Buise delivered a presentation on Business Communications.
On 1 November Nobuo Hara delivered a presentation “How did the Deaf community in Japan cope
during the earthquake on 11th March 2011?”
There will be no presenter on 13 December Instead, this is a geart opportunity to socialise and enjoy
the festive season.
WAAD’s Fingerspelling mugs
New colours - Black, White, Red, Blue and Orange mugs. Great as gifts! $10.00 each.
Avaliable for sale via:
WAAD Board Members E-mail: [email protected]
or at the WA Deaf Society, 46/5 Aberdeen Street, East Perth WA.
For more information contact WAAD
FAX: (08) 9441 2616
E-mail: [email protected]
www.facebook.com/DeafWA
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Community News
Shenton College Deaf Education Centre
NWDP Excursion
On Wednesday 21st of October 2015, Shenton College Deaf Education Centre and Belmont City
College students, staff and teachers attended Parliament House on excursion during the National
Week of Deaf People. The event was aimed at enhancing the community relations between
government, the Deaf community and Deaf youth, creating ‘awareness raising’ opportunities
regarding political advocacy and networking.
The tour at Parliament House included an overview of the history, functions and features of the
WA Parliament, information regarding the relationships between the two Houses, and access to
the galleries of both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council, where we viewed the
chambers.
The opportunity to ask questions throughout the tour was much appreciated and we had interesting
conversations during morning tea with the Hon. Anthony Simpson MLA, Minister for Local
Government; Community Services, Seniors and Volunteering.
Minister Simpson was previously the President of the WA Deaf Society and our students took
the opportunity to ask Minister Simpson about accessibility for Deaf people concerning the WA
Parliament’s website where the information videos are not captioned, nor are they interpreted into
Auslan.
Young Australian of the Year, Ms Drisana Levitzke-Gray, supported our students on site and she also
spoke about inclusion and issues affecting Deaf youth. Minister Simpson appreciated the information
and promised that he would look into some of the matters raised. It was a very enlightening excursion
for all of us who had the privilege to attend.
Many thanks to Drisana Levitzke-Gray, Dawn Harrison and Robyn Tsapazi for facilitating this
great opportunity during NWDP for us to interact with WAAD, Belmont City College students, and
representatives at Parliament House.
Sandra Strandsjo
Teacher of the Deaf
Shenton College Deaf Education Centre
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Community News
Mosman Park School for Deaf Children
Last week students from Mosman Park School for Deaf Children went to Pinjarra for a Deaf School
Camp. On the Monday morning, a very excited group of children boarded a bus headed to Fairbridge
Village in Pinjarra for a 4 day camp.
The kids had a wonderful time despite the heat and the millions of flies who decided to join us! Over
the week they completed many challenging activities including indoor rock climbing, a low ropes
course, night time bush walking, a flying fox and finally, a big swing; where they had to step off a
very high balcony and trust that the swing would keep them safe. Whilst they were not the easiest of
activities, every child gave it their best and conquered each challenge. As a result, the students who
returned to school were more confident and resilient.
The pool provided very welcome respite from the heat and the Fairbridge staff commented that they
had never seen a group of staff and students having so much fun. The kitchen staff also commented
that our Deaf students were the most well behaved students they have had.
Huge thanks go to the staff who came along, joined in with the students so whole heartedly and made
the camp possible. Our students had a wonderful week, being fully immersed in Auslan, sharing
some amazing experiences together and building their friendships. We are very proud of their efforts,
attitude and behaviour and hope to have another Deaf School Camp next year.
ASLIA (WA)
On Saturday, 12 September ASLIA (WA) held a sausage sizzle fundraiser at
Officeworks in Morley. While the weather was a little dreary, this didn’t dampen
our spirits, and we were able to fundraise money to put towards our events for
the remainder of the year. As you can see in the photo, our Chef for the day, VicePresident Cat Edmunds, was very busy at the BBQ!
On 19 September we held our Annual General Meeting. With a decent turnout we
recapped our year for our members and adopted the President’s and Treasurer’s
reports.
On 7 November, the committee held a planning day in preparation for 2016. We
have some exciting professional development opportunities and social/networking
events planned and look forward to launching our 2016 calendar early in the new
year.
ASLIA (WA) would like to thank everyone for their support throughout this year and wish everyone a
safe festive season. Looking forward to seeing you all in the new year!
Cara Smith.
President, ASLIA (WA)
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Community News
Belmont City College - Deaf Education
The students and staff at Belmont City College have
been very busy during Term 3 and this will continue
in Term 4.
During third term sixteen exchange students and
their teachers from Chiba Keizai High School in
Japan, visited BCC. As part of their visit BCC invited
Mr Nobuo Hara, from WA Deaf Society to give a
presentation to all students learning Japanese as
a LOTE, the sixteen exchange students and their
teachers and four Deaf students.
Nobuo is a Deaf man from Japan who has been
living in Australia for the past 5 years. He explained
the many differences between Japanese and
Australian cultures, including food, sport, landmarks,
transport and population. He also taught the
students some sign language so they could compare
Auslan and Japanese Sign Language.
Nobuo’s presentation was enjoyed by all the
students and we appreciate the WA Deaf Society’s
assistance in arranging his visit to Belmont City
College.
During Term 3 Year 10 Fashion students were given the task of
creating a garment and embellishing it using a variety of re-usable
materials. For inspiration the students attended a workshop at
Remeda, a creative re-use centre located in West Perth. Remeda
had a large variety of industrial discards from shops and factories
available for the students to use, allowing their imaginations to run
wild! Students were encouraged to think about finding new ways to
creatively use waste materials for their garment.
Here’s Leila Agudo getting
creative at Remeda.
On Monday July 22nd five students from the Deaf
Education Centre visited the Perth Zoo as part of
their Geography program. They had been learning
about animals from different continents. The students
also had the opportunity to plan their travel using
public transport. As the weather was nice and cool,
most of the animals were out and about, including
the male lion who gave us a big surprise by walking
right up to the viewing window! A highlight of the day
was a chance to see and touch a snake. None of the
students were hesitant, but the same couldn’t be said
of the staff!
17
Community News
EMMANUEL
NEWS FROM THE CATHOLIC MINISTRY WITH DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING PEOPLE
New Website from Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.
Check it out at: deafministry.catholic.org.au
MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID
We all know that when we see a person who perhaps falls over or feels unwell in the shopping mall many
people gather around to offer first aid. When a person is experiencing being unwell mentally – stress, trauma,
depression, etc. most people don’t know what to do.
Emmanuel Centre has trained 4 deaf people in Mental Health First Aid. These people use Auslan and have
offered to help other Deaf people. In the coming year Emmanuel Centre will organise various events to explore
mental health – keeping our mental health when we are well and looking at how we can help ourselves when
we are not well.
If you are interested in this, please contact Emmanuel Centre, 25 Windsor Street,Perth, 6000;
Telephone 9328 9571 (TTY)//9328 8113 (Voice)// 9227 9720 (Fax) //0401 016 399 (SMS)
email: [email protected].
HYDE PARK DEAF AND AUSLAN PICNIC DAY
17th October
Over 80 people attended this Picnic Day. It was really exciting to see old friends
catch up with each other. People came from as far away as Bunbury and it was
amazing how the little children of years ago have now grown up to be tall almost
adults.
More Photos on Facebook
https://web.facebook.com/auslan.live
18
Community News
National Relay Service News
Please help: NRS Survey
Have you tried the NRS App?
•
•
•
It’s a free app for your iPhone, iPad or other smartphone
or tablet.
You can use it to make calls using Internet Relay (typing),
Video Relay (Auslan) or Captioned Relay (speaking and
reading).
Search for NRS App in the Apple iTunes store or Google
Play store.
Tell us what you think of the NRS app
•
•
•
•
Have you been using the app?
The NRS is asking users what they think about the NRS
app.
We want to know how you use the app, and any things we could improve
Click here for more information, and a link to the
survey: http://relayservice.gov.au/news/tell-us-what-you-think-of-the-nrs-app/
More information?
Annabel Vasquez is the NRS Education Co-ordinator in Western Australia.
She can help you learn more about NRS. If you need help, just ask!
How to contact Annabel:
Email:
[email protected]
SMS:
O430 159 961
Phone:
08 9441 2696
NRS Helpdesk can answer all your questions.
Open Monday to Friday, 6am – 4pm (WA time)
How to contact Helpdesk:
Email:
[email protected]
SMS:
0416 001 350
Phone:
1800 555 660
19
WADS office will be closed for Christmas
Thursday, 24 December 2015 Open until 12.00pm
Friday, 25 December Christmas Day
Monday, 28 December Boxing Day - Public Holiday
Tuesday, 29 December Closed
Wednesday, 30 December Closed
Thursday, 31 December Closed
Friday, 1 January 2016 New Years Day
Monday, 4 January Open from 9.00am
When WADS is closed, if you need an Auslan interpreter for emergency situation e.g. Hospital or
Police, please contact the After Hours Emergency Interpreter on 0410 017 540 (voice or sms)
On Behalf of all at the WA Deaf Society
we wish you a very merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.
POLICE & RAC ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
SMS Number (Only WA)
For Deaf or Hard of hearing peope only
Sometimes you need an interpreter but have difficulty
explaining this to hearing people. Here’s a handy
cut-out you can keep in your wallet.
Cut Out and Keep
I communicate in Auslan (Australian Sign Language)
Please contact Sign Language Communications
to book an Auslan interpreter on:
I com
P
Business Hours: 9441 2623
After Hours: 0410 017 540
Email: [email protected]
Thank you
POLICE SMS number is 0403 277 478
RAC SMS number is 0434 182 877
Put the numbers on your mobile NOW!
Emergency contact information over the Christmas and New year period
in Auslan
(Australian
Sign Language)
Over the Christmas and New Year holidays we wish you allI communicate
a safe and
happy
time.
However, if you
Please contact
SignSLC
Language
Communications
need an Auslan interpreter for an emergency situation please contact
the
After
Hours
Emergency
to book an Auslan interpreter on:
0410 017 540
I com
P
Business Hours: 9441 2623
After Hours: 0410 017 540
Email: [email protected]
(SMS and voice calls)
Thank you
I communicate in Auslan (Australian Sign Language)
Please contact Sign Language Communications
to book an Auslan interpreter on:
I com
P
Alana Wlekart
After Hours: 0410 017 540
Business Hours: 9441 2623
Email: [email protected]
Alana Wlekart will be responsible for the emergency calls over the Christmas
and New Year period.
Thank you
An extra special thank you goes to all the interpreters and DI’s (Deaf Interpreters) who have
responded to calls, held the phone, and provided their support for this very important service over the
past year.
Cut Out and Keep
20
Sometimes you need an interpreter but have difficulty explaining this to hearing p
your wallet to make communication easier.