deafness forum of australia ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008 Improving the quality of life for Australians who are deaf, have a hearing impairment or have a chronic disorder of the ear TABLE OF CONTENTS Improving the quality of life for Australians who are deaf, have a hearing impairment or have a chronic disorder Highlights for 2007-08 of the ear 2 Chairperson’s report 3 Chief Executive Officer/Company Secretary’s report 6 About our organisation 7 Our Board of Directors 10 Our Staff 11 Our efforts in lobbying 14 Our representation on panels and committees 16 Our consultation and networking 18 Our participation in research 20 Our information and awareness raising activities 20 Our members 25 Our projects 27 Our financial situation 34 HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2007-08 • 2007 Captioning Awards. • The Libby Harricks Memorial Oration, delivered by Professor Bob Cowan. • Election campaign. • The 5th National Deafness Sector Summit held in Canberra in May 2008. • 2007 Hearing Awareness Week theme was “Get the message”. • Launch of new website. • Delivered training for telecommunications representatives, with the assistance of a grant from the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy. • Developed a new position statement on Communication access in airports, with significant member input. • Two rural hearing and health expos held in Ballarat (Vic) and Bathurst (NSW). • Lobbied for the government investigation into media access for Australians who are Deaf or have a hearing impairment. • Contributed a number of submissions to government inquiries including a major submission on the National Mental Health and Disability Employment Strategy. 3 Chairperson’s report It is with great pleasure I present you We also acknowledged Margaret motion in Parliament last year on the 2008 Annual Report to highlight our Robertson and Ruth Fotheringham’s 12 September, 2007. It was an inspiration challenges and achievements. Last year, outstanding work with Deafness to watch her speak on behalf of the deaf I spoke highly about the need for passion Forum and awarded them with a Life and hearing impaired community and a to help us over hurdles and how we must membership. Thank you again, Margaret date not to forget. It was also bittersweet hold onto our commitment to ensure and Ruth. The year also welcomed to farewell Senator Stott Despoja from that changes do happen. Changes do Kirsten’s new daughter, Ingrid to the Parliament in June this year. I enjoyed not happen overnight and we need to world and of course, my son, Tobian. watching her farewell speech with acknowledge this and not give up. It has From thereon, the adventure had begun an Auslan interpreter present. We all been an amazing year, so much has as a parent, advocate and lobbyist. wish her well and hope that she comes happened and I am proud and happy to back one day to continue and be our It was exciting to see new possibilities say it has been a fulfilling rollercoaster. champion in Parliament. that lay ahead of us when Labor took But this ride is not over yet office. They have waved the ‘social While the state of affairs began to We are still here today to change inclusion’ flag to us, the people of evolve within the Parliament, we were and improve the lives of people who Australia, and declared that they also heavily involved with arranging are Deaf, hearing impaired or have a believed in this change and that we various events. Right after New Year’s, chronic disorder in the ear. There are should not exclude individuals who are the team of the Deafness Forum focused many other communities we also considered disadvantaged. Naturally, this their energy on creating two successful embrace such as the Deaf-blind and has allowed us to ring the bells to Rural Expos which was made possible indigenous community and for those make Parliament aware of our goals by the support of the National Relay who are at risk of losing their hearing and our needs. We have grabbed every Service Outreach Service. On behalf of due to noise. So you can imagine the opportunity to grasp the flag of ‘social the Deafness Forum and the board, we amount of work our wonderful team inclusion’ and use it while advocating would like to express our gratitude to in Canberra has done in the last year. and lobbying. There were a few initiatives the National Relay Service Outreach for The team and the board have worked undertaken by the Government which making the Expos possible at Ballarat, in a collaborative force to achieve we were pleased to be part of, to name Victoria and Bathurst, NSW. This is one those outcomes although needless a few – The Electronic Media Enquiry, of our goals to ensure people living to say, it is never been easy. With so National Mental Health & Disability with a hearing loss or a chronic disorder many goals, we are fortunate to have Employment Strategy Enquiry and in the ear do not feel disadvantaged welcomed Lyn Beaumont, Dr Jill Duncan ACOSS Conference (Australian Council of in where they live. It is very easy to and Roz Keenan onto the Board of Social Service). I must say that the Media forget and realise that we also have Deafness Forum at last year’s AGM. Enquiry would not have been possible a big responsibility to include and without Senator Natasha Stott Despoja’s educate those living in the remote areas of Australia. After a few months after the Expos were This Summit was not possible without These are a few shy examples of what held, we held one of the most exciting our speakers, contributors, interpreters, we do as an organisation. Not only have 5th National Deafness Sector Summit captioners and sponsors. We gratefully we advocated for access, we also have at the home of the Deafness Forum, acknowledge the generous support of advocated the urgency of protecting Canberra. Brrr, it was a chilly time but the Australian Government Department people from losing their hearing through that did not stop delegates from all of Families, Housing, Community noise such as Ipods or work related noise. over of Australia to attend the Summit. Services and Indigenous Affairs and the During Hearing Awareness Week, we We had a very exciting and unique Department of Health and Ageing (Office also saw the launch of the ‘Choosing the program that suits each sector within of Hearing Services) and other sponsors: Right Phone’ by Senator Helen Coonan. the Deafness Forum. The structure of Media Access Australia, Disability ACT, This pamphlet will be very helpful for the Summit was the life cycle where Cochlear, National Relay Service, Siemens those who want to understand and everyone got together to discuss and and National Auslan Booking Services know which phone is right for them share experiences and ideas from birth (NABS). We truly look forward to the next depending on what kind of phone they to old age. At the Summit, we were Summit which will be held in 2010. are, what kind of hearing aids they have. fortunate to have Senator Rachel Siewert After exchanging business cards and Shortly after this launch, we honoured of the Australian Greens to open the leaving the Summit with fresh ideas and and celebrated the achievement of Summit as well as The Hon. Bill Shorten insight, we have come to realise that captioning within the industry at the MP, Parliamentary Secretary for the the future is here and that we need to 2007 Captioning Awards. Unfortunately, Disability and Childrens’ Services who act now. We have built some important Senator Natasha Stott-Despoja was not launched the new National Relay Service ties with some key stakeholders such able to make it but it was a night to video. We also had Associate Professor as Media Access Australia, Human remember. Luckily, we were able to have Bob Cowan who delivered an oration Rights Equal Opportunity Commission, the Hon. Bill Shorten MP at the 2008 for the Libby Harricks Memorial Oration. Australian Hearing and many others Captioning Awards at our table this year. This was possible with the support of to help achieve some results. Lobbying It was great to have Bill Shorten with Australian Hearing and the Australian cannot happen alone. By teaming us that night and for him to see and Communication Exchange. up with others, we were able to see understand our issues. Bill also gave a There were a few favourite moments some shift within the sector such as heartfelt speech about employment for from the Summit but one has stood out the signing off to the United Nations people with a disability and discussed for me which was Li Cunxin’s keynote Convention of Rights of People with that a change needs to happen. speech and his daughter, Sophie Li’s a Disability, some negotiations with performance. It was spell-binding Cinemas and ongoing discussion with and inspirational. Free-to-Air industry. 5 Last year, I discussed about how Every day when I hold my son, I think of I can see what difference Deafness captioning is one of the most important his future and say to myself, ‘the future is Forum has made for many individuals access tool for deaf and hearing impaired here now and his future is in our hands’. up to now, and over the horizon and into Australians. It still is! The Captioning The breadth of issues are constantly the future, that’s what we are passionate Awards is a time where the industry expanding but this does not stop us from about and what we will continue. comes together and acknowledges each addressing each issue but we cannot Alex Jones other’s work as well as realising that do this alone.