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Expression of Interest — Nominations for the WFD board (2015-2019)

Logos of Deaf Australia and the World Federation of the Deaf.

Deaf Australia is calling for interested members of the Deaf Community wishing to serve on the board of the World Federation of the Deaf in 2015.

Only Deaf Australia, being the Ordinary Member of World Federation of the Deaf can make nomination to WFD. Deaf Australia can only submit one nomination.
Nominations are now invited for the positions of

  • President
  • Vice – President
  • Members

These positions will be elected during the XIX General Assembly of the WFD in Istanbul, Turkey, 26-27 July 2015. Each elected board shall serve for a term of four (4) years, and may be re-elected.
At present, Mr. Colin Allen is the Australian’s nominee and is elected as WFD President. Mr. Colin Allen has been serving on the board of WFD since 2003.
Expression of interest must be received by Deaf Australia no later than Friday 7 November 2014. Deaf Australia board will review all Expression of Interests and submit nomination to WFD before 23 January 2015. Deaf Australia reserves the right to nominate.
Expression of Interest must include the following:

  • A short Curriculum Vitae (CV) in English (no more than one page); and
  • A written submission outlining the following:
    • Capacity to represent Deaf Australia and members of Deaf Australians at the national and international levels;
    • Demonstrated knowledge and skills of national and international deaf communities; and
    • Outline strategy and level of support required for effective participation to board meetings.

Conditions of Nomination:

  1. Is an active member of Deaf Australia; and
  2. Participate in awareness activities to increase profile of Deaf Australia and the Australian deaf community.

Please submit your Expression of Interest to Kyle Miers, Chief Executive of Deaf Australia at [email protected].

NWDP event registrations CLOSING SOON!

Have you got your National Week of Deaf People events registered yet? If not, you need to hurry! Registrations close on Friday 26 September 2014.

If you haven’t registered yet, start thinking now about the types of things you could do to celebrate Deaf people, culture and community. In previous years, Deaf people and organisations have run all sorts of events during NWDP to raise awareness about the Deaf community and celebrate being Deaf.

Check out our NWDP page to get some ideas or for more information.

Once you have got your event idea all worked out (including your promotional flyer!), simply register online at deafaustralia.org.au/nwdp

Get some great suggestions for your events here too.

Congratulations Dr Maree Madden: new ASLIA President

Deaf Australia wishes to congratulate the newly elected President of the Australian Sign Language Interpreters Association (ASLIA): Dr Maree Madden.

Deaf Australia and ASLIA have had a long history of collaboration to ensure that deaf people receive quality interpreters across many areas of life. With so many deaf people now achieving higher levels of employment and working in a variety of fields, it is equally important that interpreters are appropriately qualified to match the needs of deaf consumers.

Read more about ASLIA and Dr Madden’s appointment.

PWDA: Assisting people with disabilities to access the Royal Commission

People with Disability Australia Incorporated (PWDA) is a national disability rights and advocacy organisation. They are supporting people with disability who may be affected by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

PWDA can provide individual advocacy to those who are affected, and can support you with deciding whether to participate, and they can also support you while you tell your story to the Royal Commission.

They are also running a comprehensive training program across Australia, developing awareness of the sexual and human rights of people with disability.

PWDA will also provide the Royal Commission with policy advice regarding the key dynamics which make children with disability vulnerable to sexual abuse in institutional settings.

Read more about PWDA, their Ambassador Program, new website and how you can become involved.

Hospital takes baby from Deaf parents — Media Release

The exterior of Westmead Children's Hospital in Sydney is pictured with another image of a crying baby being kissed by it's mother.

The Children’s Hospital at Westmead has removed a three-month-old baby from her parents last week without warning or appropriate communication.

The parents, April Joseph and Anaru Hayward-Semenoff, who are both profoundly deaf and use Auslan to communicate, were completely unaware that the hospital had concerns for the child’s safety until the meeting when they were told their baby and five-year-old child were being removed to foster care.
“It is outrageous that the hospital did not effectively consult with Anaru and April (the parents) at all or use a sign language interpreter until all the decisions had already taken place,” said Deaf Australia CEO Mr Kyle Miers, “It is our understanding that the interpreter for the final meeting was qualified but inadequate and unsuitable for the meeting; the mother requested a different interpreter but the request was ignored by the social worker there.”
“This failure of the hospital interpreting system was a disaster for the parents and this little family, who were then not able to adequately communicate their perspectives, feelings or needs or defend themselves, let alone be involved in making important care decisions for their child.”
One month ago, baby Akayla was rushed to hospital following a seizure and swelling on the brain due to internal bleeding. The doctors operated; some time later Akayla woke from her coma and began to recover. During the recovery period, doctors at the hospital suspected the parents were unfit, but did not discuss their concerns with the family at all; instead starting proceedings to have the children removed.
Baby Akayla is currently in foster care, with Asher living with April’s mother. April and Anaru are now only allowed to visit the children under strict supervision, even on Asher’s fifth birthday last week. Anaru also had to miss his first Father’s Day with his daughter.
“Westmead Hospital has failed in their responsibility to ensure the basic human right to communicate,” explained Deaf Australia NSW President Ms Jordanna Smith, “This has resulted in a heartbreaking situation for this family, which could have been avoided if the hospital had arranged interpreters and consulted the parents from the very beginning. The primary goal should be to support families to stay together.”
April and Anaru are due to attend a court hearing on Friday; however they have no idea how long the court proceedings will be and when they will be able to be a family again.

Westmead Hospital has failed in their responsibility to ensure the basic human right to communicate,

“Even as we move one step forward with the NDIS and empowerment of people with disabilities, incidents like this take us ten steps back and further away from an inclusive society. It is simply unacceptable, especially from a public service,” said Deaf Australia President Mr Todd Wright.
Deaf Australia (national) and Deaf Australia (NSW) Inc regularly advocate for many deaf people around the country who have experienced severe discrimination and have been denied access to vital health care services as a result of lack of interpreting services and communication.
“The Government of NSW, through the Children’ Hospital at Westmead, has failed in their duty of care to this family,” said Mr Miers, “Deaf people deserve equal opportunity to make decisions and be consulted about their own life and family; but we cannot do this when hospitals continue to refuse something as basic as providing access to interpreters.”
Deaf Australia is calling for:

  • The NSW Health Minister to intervene to ensure that the Children’s Hospital at Westmead provides appropriately qualified interpreters to work through this issue with the family as quickly as possible so that the welfare of the children is not further disrupted any longer than necessary.
  • The NSW Health Minister to make Deaf awareness and cultural training mandatory for all hospital staff.
  • All hospitals in Australia to immediately write and enact appropriate policies to deal with interpreters for medical situations to comply with Australia’s responsibilities as a signatory of the United Nations Convention of the Right of Persons With Disability and prevent incidents like this from happening again.

Deaf Australia Activities — August 2014





Greetings from Chief Executive’s Desk.

In the last few months, we have been working hard to ensure that Deaf Australia is sustainable, to ensure that your views are appropriately represented. You may be aware that the government has changed the way that peak organisations are funded. Our current funding will cease at the end of December 2014 after so many years of the peak-funded program.
Deaf Australia has put in several funding applications seeking for funding for program initiatives and projects. These funding programs look favourably on organisations being part of a consortium as well as national peak organisations. We will know the outcomes of these submissions later this year.
The head office of Deaf Australia is currently based in Queensland and will continue to be based there until further notice.
Some of the activities we have done in the last few months are:

  • Launched our brand new website
  • Redirecting internet users from the old website www.deafau.org.au to the new website www.deafaustralia.org.au
  • Improved communication distribution; linking Blog, FaceBook and Twitter
  • Conducted Members and Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey
  • Undertook consultations on NAPLAN, Disability Employment Services and National Disability Strategy
  • Sent out several media releases
  • Submitted and published an article on Emergency Announcement and use of interpreters
  • Reviewed Deaf Australia’s Strategic Plan 2015-2020.

Membership Renewal:

Deaf Australia has developed a new way for you to renew your membership or become a new member. This system will ensure your information is up to date and current allowing state organisations to view their members quickly. If you have not renewed your membership for 2014-15, it is a good time for you to renew your membership now. Renew your membership here. www.deafaustralia.org.au/membership.

National Week of Deaf People (NWPD):

NWPD will take place between 18 and 24 October and the theme is Strengthening Human Diversity. Please check out www.deafaustralia.org.au/NWPD to find out how you can participate or register the events for NWPD.

Awards:

We will be announcing Deaf Australian of the Year, Deaf Youth Australian of the Year and Fair – Go Awards during the week. Please take this opportunity to nominate deaf adult, deaf youth and organisations worthy of recognition. Please nominate from this website: https://deafaustralia.org.au/information/awards/

AGM/ Special General Meeting:

Deaf Australia will be having our 28th Annual General Meeting and Special General Meeting on Saturday 22 November 2014 in Perth.

Constitution Review:

The board believes that the constitution needs reviewing so that Deaf Australia are meeting the current needs and views of deaf people. There are three areas we will be covering:

  • Membership fees and structure
  • Inclusion of ‘hard of hearing’
  • Board and governance.

Members will be asked to complete a survey through survey monkey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2014_Constitution_Review). The closing date for feedback is 12 September 2014.
Members will have opportunity to comment on the draft Amendments (due 26 September 2014) before the final Amendments on 17 October 2014. A Special General Meeting will be held on 22 November.
It is important that you have your say in the review.

Deaf Youth Australia:

Deaf Australia is very pleased to announce that Deaf Youth Australia (DYA) is formally a part of Deaf Australia. DYA is applying to the World Federation of the Deaf – Youth Sector to be an official Deaf Youth designate of Australia as a Youth Ordinary Member. This will enable DYA to represent Australian Deaf Youth at the international level.

Dot Shaw Writing Competition:

Deaf Australia will be calling deaf children and youth to submit their writings as part of Dot Shaw Writing Competition. Winners will be announced at the Annual General Meeting. To register and submit writing competition, please check www.deafaustralia.org.au/dot_shaw_competition_2014.

World Federation of the Deaf:

Turkish National Federation of the Deaf is hosting the XVII World Congress in Istanbul Turkey from 28 July – 2 August 2015. The organising committee is calling for abstract submissions. Closing date for submissions is on 30 September 2014.
Early bird registration due is on 15 February 2015. Regular registration is due 15 May 2015. Late registration is after 15 May 2014.
For more details about the XVII World Congress, please go to this website: http://www.wfdcongress2015.org

Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse:

Deaf Australia has last year negotiated with the Commission to create accessible forum for deaf people to respond to child sexual abuse. Deaf Society of NSW has organised information session to enable deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing and their families as well as organisations all over Australia to understand its very important work. This information session was filmed: please check this link. http://stagingconnections.org/webcasts/royal_commission_2014/.
If you wish to contact the Commission to share your story, you will be able to do so in privacy by phoning them at 1800 099 340 or email at [email protected]. Please ask for an interpreter.
Deaf Australia is going through interesting and challenging times ahead this year. It is important that your views are represented to ensure that deaf people are not left behind.

Celebrating Deaf Culture during NWDP





What are you doing to celebrate Deaf people, culture and community this year?

National Week of Deaf People (NWDP) is happening this year from 18-24 October 2014, under the theme “Strengthening Human Diversity”.
It’s a weeklong national celebration of Deaf individuals and the Australian Deaf community.
So start thinking about how you might be able to make people more aware of your local, state and national Deaf communities and celebrate our Deaf community, language, culture and history.
It is also an opportunity for organisations involved with, or wishing to be involved with the Deaf Community to:

  • Showcase their services and/or products
  • Build/maintain relationships with Deaf People
  • Be recognised for giving Deaf people a fair go

Go to the Deaf Australia NWDP page to find out more about NWDP and register your event so it can be promoted as part of the nationwide events calendar for 2014.
Event registrations close Friday 26 September 2014

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