Transcript: 

This is the NDIS update. This is a hot topic within the Deaf community, especially for those who use the NDIS in different ways. Deaf Australia has continued working with the NDIA in different ways, we regularly attend forums, meetings and discussions. Deaf Australia has also been contributing to working groups on topics such as the planning process, and providing feedback from a Deaf perspective. We also have had meetings regarding issues that we see occurring in the NDIS space that affect the Deaf community. This includes insufficient interpreter funds being allocated, the rejection of Auslan training in plans, or insufficient funds for Auslan. Also supporting people to appeal the NDIA’s decision and supporting cases at the AAT that relate to interpreter funding, Auslan training and other Deaf specific requests.

The Deaf community must have their choice and control with the NDIS. We have been doing lots of work in this space.

I also acknowledge there have been a lot of changes and reforms to the NDIS, however, this information hasn’t been shared with the Deaf Community well. We will create a page on our website to explain these changes. Recently there was a bill introduced in Parliament to ensure that the NDIS stays within its original vision. This means that Deaf Australia along with other Disability Representation organisations can work with the NDIA to ensure a better outcome and experience for the Deaf and wider disability community when accessing the NDIS.
There have also been changes in policies to crack down on fraud and strengthen fraud prevention, this will be released soon.

Changes such as an extra day in processing payment for services, changing from 2 to 3 business days to ensure appropriate oversight.

Check-in with your plan or plan managers to understand these changes and to make sure they don’t impact any of your services. We are trying to get more visual and accessible information about these changes so you can understand how to best use your plan in alignment with the changing NDIS space.

If you have any concerns about your NDIS plans please contact us and we can point you in the right direction to have this resolved.

Thank you

Shirley is wearing a black t-shirt standing in plain cream background.

She is signing in a friendly and concise manner towards the camera.

Transcript: 

Hello, this video is an update about the Disability Royal Commission. As you know the DRC finished its commission and handed down volumes of its recommendations. This means the Australian Government needs to consider its response to each of the many recommendations. Originally the plan was for the response to be released this month, however, they have extended this until mid-July. That means we must wait a little longer until the Government releases its responses for us to begin our collaborative work with the other Disability Representation groups to provide our feedback. No one knows our needs like we do, so it’s important to ensure the response from the Government is appropriate and that nothing is missed.

There was a recent progress update, which covered other Disability related themes unfortunately none of which were related to the Deaf and Auslan community. Only some information regarding general accessibility, which I want to acknowledge. We will wait until mid-July for the full response from the Government and we will provide you updates about that when it happens, as well as what impacts may occur in the community.

We also acknowledge that there isn’t a lot of information available in Auslan, we aim to create a page on our website dedicated to the DRC, its aim, and its impact across all the various areas. This will help understand Deaf Australia’s role in responding to the Government’s response. We hope to have this information up in a few months.

Thank you for watching.

Shirley is wearing a black t-shirt standing in plain cream background.

She is signing in a friendly and concise manner towards the camera.

Transcript: 

Hello, this video is an update about the NRS. You may remember the previous video we posted about the NRS and the concerns around the tender process for service delivery.
The tender application has now closed. We acknowledge the limited consultation with the community and the gaps that exist in the current form.

We have been contacted by the relevant Government department to discuss the areas we have identified and they expressed they are happy and willing to have further discussions on how the service can be improved once the tender has closed.
We will share more updates when they happen.

Also, we have been working closely with ACCAN who are experts in the area of Communication, they have assisted us in how best to lead this, with foresight for the next tender process to avoid what happened in the recent tender.

The process will take some time with negotiations to ensure its successful. We want to ensure issues raised are resolved, so we don’t have to deal with the same types of issues in future tender cycles. We will share further updates when we have them.

Also, for any issues identified or brought to Deaf Australia’s attention, we will be approaching the Minister of Communications to inform them and have thorough conversations on how these can be addressed. We hope to begin this approach shortly.

Lastly, we have spoken with ACCAN about ‘Triple-0’ emergency calls. They are eager to explore how this can be improved. You may be aware that the 3G network will be shutting down this year. Different Telecommunication businesses such as Telstra, Optus and Vodafone have announced when they will turn off their 3G networks. Please check with your phone provider to make sure you won’t be affected with this change.
ACCAN told me about the various levels of 000, some being the State’s responsibility and others being the Federal Government’s responsibility. They’re happy to work with us to help address the issue of Deaf people being unable to access 000 in the time of an emergency, and the changes needed to amend this. We’ve been involved with a committee of other stakeholders and the Government which has given us a great opportunity to inform them about this so they can also advocate for us.

Once we know more about how to best approach State-based 000 providers, and approval from the board, we will let you know and consult with the community to move this issue forward.

Thank you for watching this update.

Shirley is wearing a black t-shirt standing in plain cream background.

She is signing in a friendly and concise manner towards the camera.

Transcript:

Hello! In this update, I’ll be sharing an update on all the work we’ve been doing at Deaf Australia. There has been a lot happening across different sectors, it would be impossible to fit everything into one video. Instead of one lengthy video, I’ve decided to break it up into smaller videos depending on the topic of the update, so I can go into more detail in each video. I will email Deaf Australia’s members with the different videos, as well as post these on social media in the next week or two for you to watch.

I encourage you to become a Deaf Australia Member so you can have quick access to our updates too via our mailing lists.

If you’re not yet a member, that’s fine. We are still amending our member forms on our website to make joining and payment easier with our new payment option. By using My CRM, our central management system we can see all details in one handy location.

This also will align with the recent changes from our last AGM, regarding membership structure. We will provide further updates on this soon.

Another exciting date coming up soon is Auslan Day, on April 13th! We are excited! If you don’t already know we’re having a video competition with prizes to be won. For more information, please check out our website. We will be releasing a promo video soon, so please keep a look out!

Now for all the things we’ve been working on at Deaf Australia. There’s been lots! As you know we’re a small organisation, but that doesn’t stop us from tirelessly advocating for systemic change. We’ve had lots of meetings with the Government, and lots of things have been happening. Of course, it is a slow process, but we know that eventually, the impact will be a positive change.
Unfortunately, nothing can change overnight, so we keep advocating.

Three things I’d like to provide an update on are the Disability Royal Commission and NDIS Review as well as the NRS update. Three big topics!

Please watch the separate videos for further information.

Deaf Australia has also been busy reviewing and writing position papers, which are released after working closely with Deaf Australia’s board for approval. We have plenty of position papers available on our website, with more to be added soon.

We have provided submissions to the Government for their different reviews to help inform better policy decisions and reform to influence the rest of Australia’s states and territories.

I know that was a lot of information for one video, I hope you have a good week and enjoyed the break over the recent long weekend.

I look forward to working with you more soon.

Shirley is wearing a black t-shirt standing in plain cream background.

She is signing in a friendly and concise manner towards the camera.

Transcript:

Hello! I’m Shirley, the Acting CEO of Deaf Australia.

This is a new role for me and I have already learnt so much especially about things I had never given much thought to in the past. This new experience has kept me very busy.

I’ve been pleased to watch the Deaf Australia team work so well together over the last three weeks. We have been busy preparing a toolkit that will be released next week. Please keep your eyes out for more information about this on Facebook, Instagram and, if you are a Deaf Australia member, in your inboxes.  

We have also been planning an event for the upcoming Auslan Day. You’ll find lots of information about this on our website.

Today, I attended the ‘Deaf History Collection’ launch – more information about this event is in the next video.

Today I attended the launch of the Deaf History Collection, a very special event that was held at the University of Sydney in a space that used to be occupied by the Darlington Deaf School.

Here in a very old building that holds many stories and memories for our community ex students and community members gathered. It was not only Sydney-siders that attended but community members from across the country that came together for this special and very enjoyable launch of the Deaf History Collection website.

The website, through various media types, documents the history of the deaf community in all areas of life including advocacy, education, sport and the arts.  

Deaf Australia would like to acknowledge and thank Deaf Connect for their significant investment in the Deaf History Collection and ensuring that it is available for our community to access, enjoy and learn about our history.  At the beginning of this projects journey, Deaf Connect reached out to Deaf Australia so that we could work collaboratively on this project.

Today was the launch of a living collection of our history. Please share the website with your friends, family and work colleagues. We will continue to document our history through the Deaf History Collection website.

Once again, Deaf Australia would like to thank Deaf Connect for their commitment to the project. We would also like to thank the Deaf community members and various organisations that have contributed to the collection so far.

Lastly, Deaf Australia will soon be posting another video about collecting your feedback about the National Relay Service (NRS) to inform our advocacy work.

Thank you for watching this update.

(Filmed 16 Feb 2024)

Shirley is wearing a navy t-shirt standing in front of an old building and green bushes signing. Next to her is a light green flag that says “Deaf History Collections” in white text.

She is signing in a friendly and concise manner towards the camera.