Communicate - Vicdeaf

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www.facebook.com/Vicdeaf ... Gavin Balharrie (left) and Michael Parremore (right) manage the BBQ. .... NRS app: 4G/WIFI
Communicate

2015 Issue 56 Nov/Dec

A newsletter for the Victorian Deaf and hard of hearing community

Inside Page 4-5: Vicdeaf Christmas Rally 2015 Page 6-7: 2015 Highlights Page 12: Australian Deaf Games 2016 Update

Auslan Connections’ Video Remote Interpreting Service Launch

On Wednesday 18 November, Vicdeaf was pleased to welcome Martin Foley MP to officially launch Auslan Connections’ new Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) Service. As Minister for Disability and Ageing and Minister for Equality, it was a great opportunity for Vicdeaf to showcase the work we do relevant to these areas.

The launch included a short talk from Melissa Anderson, Deaf Educator at Aurora Early Intervention Service. Melissa spoke about her experience using VRI in the country with deaf children and their families. A new video was also shown, explaining how the service works. There are two videos available, one for deaf people and one for service providers. Both are available on the Vicdeaf website.

The launch was live streamed and able to be viewed on the internet. Vicdeaf is committed to making more events accessible for people living in rural and remote areas, as well as those who prefer to view from home. In addition the launch had live captions as well as both Auslan and English at all times. If you would like to know more about VRI, live streaming or live captioning, please contact us. Vicdeaf acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government.

Top: Brent Phillips, Tamara Pearce, Martin Foley MP, Christine Mathieson and Maxine Buxton launched the VRI Service at Vicdeaf. Bottom left: The launch was live streamed with Auslan interpreting and live captioning. Bottom right: Martin Foley MP meets Vicdeaf Board Directors. All photo sources: Vicdeaf.

our deaf community and taking time out to relax and catch up with you.

Christine Mathieson

Report from the CEO Welcome to the final edition of Communicate for 2015. The year has been full of activity and achievements which has all happened so quickly! It was great to see many of you at this year’s Christmas Rally at Hays Paddock. It was my fourth Christmas Rally that I have attended. I always thoroughly enjoy spending time chatting with members of

Recently in November, the Australian Federation of Deaf Societies (AFDS) AGM was held in Melbourne at Vicdeaf. The Presidents and CEOs of Vicdeaf, Deaf Services Queensland, Deaf Can Do South Australia, The Deaf Society (NSW), WA Deaf Society (WADS) and Tasdeaf were in attendance. The AGM was preceded by a positive meeting of both the Presidents and CEOs. We welcomed Mark Gummer, CEO and Annette Perrin, President of WADS to their first AFDS meeting. Bobbie Blackson advised that she would be stepping down as Chair of Deaf Services Queensland as she had reached the maximum tenure as President. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bobbie for her passion and commitment to AFDS over the years. Also in November was the launch of Vicdeaf’s Auslan Connections Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) services which we have been delivering since earlier this year. It was a fantastic event which was held at Vicdeaf in the JML Centre and was also live streamed. Minister Martin Foley, Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing launched the service and spoke positively

about the difference VRI can make on the lives of deaf people. I would like to thank the guest speakers, community members, Vicdeaf partners and stakeholders who were in attendance to help make the event such a success. As we come toward the end of the year I would like to thank and acknowledge our dedicated and hard working staff who have continued to provide high quality services to our clients in a time of change and some uncertainty due to the NDIS. Thanks also to the team at Deaf Children Australia, it has been a very positive and constructive year in developing a stronger relationship across both our organisations, especially as we work towards co-location. And finally, we released our new strategic plan this year which provides us with a strong vision and mission for next year and up until 2020. I look forward to continuing to work with the Board, management team, staff, community and clients in 2016 to implement our new strategy. I wish you a happy and safe holiday period and hopefully some lovely warm sunny days. Until next time.

• •CHRISTINE MATHIESON

Above: Mac Adam, President of Vicdeaf (left) and CEO Christine Mathieson pick out the winners of the Vicdeaf Passport Prizes at the Vicdeaf Christmas Rally. More photos of the Vicdeaf Christmas Rally are on pages 4 and 5. Photo source: Vicdeaf.

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Thank you for continuing to provide feedback and support, to ensure the Communicate newsletters continue to be the ‘heart’ of the deaf and hard of hearing people’s lives.

Why not receive the Communicate newsletter via email? If you are as keen as I am on reducing use of paper and wastage, you can email me a request to receive the Communicate newsletter via email at [email protected]. It is always a good idea to save paper! Sophie Li

A Merry Editorial I would like to express my gratitude to all readers of Communicate this year. I have thoroughly enjoyed publishing great stories and interesting news and there will be plenty more to share in the new year.

If you want more news, you can follow us at any of the social media platforms, see the right column on this page.

Vicdeaf Christmas Rally Enjoy this edition with photos of the recent Vicdeaf Christmas Rally at Hays Paddock, East Kew. It was great to see so many of you enjoying yourselves at the end of a great year.

Editorial Policy Communicate is published six times a year. Reader contributions are greatly welcomed. Articles must relate to Deaf and hard of hearing issues. All contributions, once submitted, become the property of Communicate. The editor reserves the right not to publish or to edit any article submitted for publication. All editing shall strive to remain true to the spirit of the original article. Opinions expressed (except in articles that are signed in an official capacity) are those of the author/s and not necessarily endorsed by the editor or by Vicdeaf.

www.facebook.com/Vicdeaf www.twitter.com/Vicdeaf

See you in the new year!

• •SOPHIE LI

www.youtube.com/InfoVicdeaf www.linkedin.com/company/vicdeaf

Christmas Appeal For the first time this year Vicdeaf is offering digital Christmas e-Cards, as well as printed cards. Both cards are unique to Vicdeaf. Lend a helping hand this holiday season. Purchase your cards and send some warm wishes to your loved ones, or encourage others to get involved. www.mycause.com.au/gift-cards/create/4016/Vicdeaf

www.instagram.com/vicdeaf_goes_visual

Submission deadlines for 2016 Friday 29 January Thursday 24 March Tuesday 24 May Tuesday 26 July Tuesday 27 September Thursday 10 November SUBMISSIONS WELCOME

Email [email protected]

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2015 Vicdeaf Christmas Rally

Auslan Connections staff enjoy a good day out of the office.

On Sunday 6 December, over 450 people came to Hays Paddock, East Kew with their families and friends to enjoy the 2015 Vicdeaf Christmas Rally. With great weather, many locals enjoyed the activities including the Circus Workshops for children and young adults (5 to 20 years of age) run by Women’s Circus trainers, Mija Gwyn and Sal Frances, supported by Arts Access Victoria. There was also a magician who did balloon twisting. It was a huge hit with many young children, they were lining up for their balloon toy! Santa and his helper made a special appearance, with Santa giving out lollies and people taking photos. A huge thank you to Melbourne Deaf Cricket Club (MDCC) for volunteering

their time and efforts managing the BBQ, offering sausages and vegetarian hamburgers. It was so popular that weran out of food! Well done to all those who got into the draw for two free registrations to the Australian Deaf Games - the winners were Matthew Bisognano and John Kearney. Congratulations! We hope you enjoy the Australian Deaf Games. Congratulations to both Mai Bryant-Kelly and Janet Meaney, winners of the Vicdeaf Passport Prizes - visiting the Vicdeaf, Auslan Connections, hearservice and SensWide Employment stalls, winning $100 dinner voucher and the $100 Coles Myer voucher respectively. Many provided positive feedback saying they enjoyed the day with Vicdeaf. We look forward to seeing many of you again next year.

Nick Gooley of Melbourne Deaf Cricket Club (MDCC) gives thumbs up on the sausages. All photo sources: Vicdeaf.

• •SOPHIE LI

Matthew Norman (right) President of Deaf Youth Victoria catches up with a student.

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From city to country Victoria, many people came to the Christmas Rally.

Gavin Balharrie (left) and Michael Parremore (right) manage the BBQ.

Children enjoy watching the Magician and Auslan interpreter Melissa Martin.

Children meet new friends to play on the oval.

Many children shook their hands to make magic!

Melinda Phillips and her son Nate enjoy the good weather.

Mija Gwyn of Women’s Circus lends a helping hand.

Santa and his helper, Sophie Li, give out lollies and smiles.

Santa took the time to take photos with his fans of all ages!

Di Andrews (left) and Alana Young (right) having a great time.

Pina Franco of hearservice answers many questions.

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2015 Highlights 2015 has been a year of many fantastic achievements for both Vicdeaf and deaf and hard of hearing people in Victoria. Below are some of the key achievements from Vicdeaf and the wider community. Thank you to all of you for helping us to achieve so much, we could have not done without your amazing support! Want to see more? Then go watch the Auslan video. It also has a Christmas message from the Vicdeaf CEO Christine Mathieson: http://bit.ly/1OQiHPt. Enjoy!

••

SOPHIE LI

Sign Language Communications Victoria (SLC VIC) was rebranded Auslan Connections in a partnership with Deaf Services Queensland.

Drisana Levitkze-Gray, Young Australian of the Year, joined the Vicdeaf Gaslight Festival in Wodonga on 7-8 March 2015.

On 26 July 2015, 15 deaf and hard of hearing people, Vicdeaf staff and board members ran as Vicdeaf Heroes in Run Melbourne to fundraise nearly $18,000.

Guest Speakers Dr Phil Harper and Mr Chris Soukup (pictured) spoke at the Deaf Professionals Network Business Breakfast on 20 February 2015.

Vicdeaf staff presented at WFD Congress in Istanbul, Turkey. L-R: Stephen Nicholson, Christine Mathieson (CEO), Tracey Steiner and Linda D’Ornay.

Between May and June, Vicdeaf ran six ‘Transitions Workshops’ for deaf and hard of hearing school leavers from eight different schools in Victoria in person and via livestreaming.

Auslan Connections sponsored Australia’s first national conference for Deaf Mental Health by providing Auslan and deafblind interpreting and live captioning.

Carla Anderson received the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her work in the Australian deafblind community on 11 September 2015.

Vicdeaf invited Vanessa Alford, Jessica Moody and Joseph Reed (L-R) to share their insights at the WFD Congress and Gallipoli as young deaf Victorians.

Deaf migrants and various members of the community came to the VRI Information Session during National Week of Deaf People.

Vicdeaf launched www.deafemergencyinfo.com.au in October - an Auslan emergency resource to prepare for natural disasters in Victoria.

Vicdeaf Strategic Plan 2015-2020 shown at Vicdeaf’s 131st AGM. Pictured: Executive Interpreter Daniel Hately and CEO Christine Mathieson.

SensWide Employment won the Globe Community ANZ Award for Excellence in Business for their work within the LGBTIQ community across Victoria.

Deaf Women’s Victoria (formerly Deaf Women’s Guild) was re-established in July this year since the last event in 2005.

Deaf history was digitised and released after Vicdeaf’s 131st AGM on 26 October. Historical documents and films are now available to view online.

All photo sources: Vicdeaf. 7

News and stories from the community Deafblind Victorians raising funds

Emergency - how to call?

Deafblind Victorians (DBV) is run by people who are deafblind themselves for people with deafblindness. DBV was established in 2007. The aim of DBV is to advocate and improve awareness of deafblindness to government, disability services and the wider community. Support our voice of Deafblind Victorians to be heard by wearing one of our unique t-shirts or long sleeve polo shirts. Buying a shirt raises money to help run our group and promote better awareness of the deafblind community and the barriers that we face. All shirts are navy blue with white printing. Sizes include: XS, S, M, L, XL , XXL. $20 for T Shirt plus postage $7, totalling $27. $35 for long sleeve polo shirt (UV protection) plus postage $7, totalling $42.

National Relay Service (NRS) have different ways to contact “Triple 000” in an emergency in fire, police and ambulance: Captioned relay: type “000” Internet relay: type “000” NRS app: 4G/WIFI on any smartphone or tablet SMS relay: SMS 0423 677 767 TTY: dial 106 Video relay: login to Skype and contact one of the NRS contact names who are ‘online’ with a green tick. •

nrs.videorelay01



nrs.videorelay02



nrs.videorelay03



nrs.videorelay04



nrs.videorelay05



nrs.videorelay06



nrs.videorelay call-back

Using all of the above services, the relay officer will ask you if you want police, fire or ambulance. Please put “T.Shirt Order” in the message line. For more information or to order shirts, email: [email protected]

Tips: •

Don’t hang up. Wait for a reply from the emergency service

• •HEATHER LAWSON



Be ready to reply



You may be asked to tell or confirm your location. This will help route the call to the closest emergency services operator as quickly as possible



The relay officer will stay on the line to relay your conversation. All conversations are treated with confidentiality at NRS but all calls to 106 and 000 are recorded so that emergency services such as police can track events if necessary

Heather Lawson is one of deafblind members for DBV, fundraising to keep running as a self advocacy group.

TechFinder - find the right product for you

Techfinder.org.au is your go-to resource for information on communication technology. This resource will help you make informed decisions about the best technology options for your needs. On TechFinder, you’ll discover: • Product summaries • User reviews • Resources • Auslan videos • Real-life stories

Stay safe this summer by knowing how to call in an emergency. If you need more information, please go to www.relayservice.gov.au. National Relay Service app is free and easy to download from Android store or App Store.

Happy browsing!

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You can keep up to date with what is happening around Victoria by visiting our website

News and stories from the community Australians at the Deaflympics at the National Sport Museum

Above: Medals won at various Deaflympics around the world. Other key memorabilia include: shirt worn by Dean Barton-Smith AM as Captain of the 2005 Melbourne Deaflympics Australian team, ski boots worn by winter Deaflympian Andrew Swan MBE, two of twenty-nine medals won by Cindy-Lu Fitzpatrick OAM’s from swimming at six Deaflympic Games. Photo source: National Sports Museum.

On Thursday 24 September, Deaf Sports Australia launched ‘Australians at the Deaflympics’ display at the National Sports Museum (NSM) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Bringing an unmatched collection of key memorabilia, the display included achievements and accomplishments of Australian deaf athletes at the Deaflympic Games and demonstrated that deaf people can be world-class athletes. The launch coincided with a number of key milestones and dates, including the 50th anniversary of Australia’s first Deaflympics medal, the 10th anniversary of the 2005 Melbourne Deaflympic Games, as well as Deaf Australia’s National Week of Deaf People 2015, which ran from Saturday 17 to Friday 23 October. Phil Harper, President of Deaf Sports Australia says the NSM display was a

landmark event acknowledging that deaf sports and the Deaflympics are a unique and interesting story that can be shared and enjoyed by all. Cindy-Lu Fitzpatrick OAM who was unable to attend the launch commented, “As a 12 year-old, at my first Games in Romania 1977, I would never have thought that the Deaflympics would play such a huge part in my life. The Deaflympics was my springboard to represent Australia in nondeaf competition and even after retiring as a competitor, I am still involved in the Deaflympics as a Technical Director for Swimming”. The National Sports Museum was the first museum in Australia to offer an Auslan service, providing deaf and hard of hearing Australians an engaging way to experience the NSM and access information.

“Deaf sport in Australia stretches right back to the 1880s, and it’s developed into a strong community with significant success on the international stage.” Dean Barton-Smith said, a four-time Deaflympian as well as the first deaf competitor to represent Australia at the Olympic Games. Dean helped officially open ‘Australians at the Deaflympics’ display. Photo source: National Sport Museum.

Above: Phil Harper showed Conexu’s ‘OpenAccess Tours’ app which offers a guided tour in Auslan or captioned audio for deaf and hard of hearing visitors. Photo source: Deaf Sports Australia.

The ‘Australians at the Deaflympics’ display runs until end of October 2016.

• •IRENA FARINACCI,

SPORTS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, DEAF SPORTS AUSTRALIA

Disability Award Finalist - Trudy Ryall Trudy Ryall has been announced as one of the finalists for the National Disability Award 2015 for International Day of People with Disability - Australia. Trudy is the co-founder of Deafblind Victorians Self Advocacy Group. Her personal experience of being deaf and having vision loss has been an inspiration for many people. The Award winners were announced on 3 December at the Parliament House, Canberra. Congratulations Trudy!

www.vicdeaf.com.au and click on ‘Your Community’ to see the latest news, noticeboard and events.

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Marketing and Development update

Gill Victor

We provide a variety of supports, services and devices that can help you to connect more with your colleagues at work.

• Video Remote Interpreting – for on-thego communications

These can help you and your work mates to communicate better with each other or help you with devices and tools to do your job better.

• Job Support – to develop your career

Many of these services are funded by the Government – so don’t miss out on seeing if you can use some of these in your workplace. Supports include:

I can’t let this update go by without telling you all about the great support you can get in your workplace!

• Deaf Awareness Training - to help your work mates interact better with you • Interpreting, notetaking, live captioning to support accurate and confidential communication

Access a better life

• Auslan in the Workplace Training • Employment Assistance Fund • Employment Advice Line • Assistive Listening Devices • Hearing Awareness Training Email us at [email protected] Or call 03 9473 1199 – we can send you a brochure or tell you more. We can support you to make your voice heard in your workplace.

• •GILL VICTOR, GENERAL MANAGER, MARKETING AND DEVELOPMENT

Registered Provider

Vicdeaf can help you: • make your voice heard • feel supported in your life, work or studies • be more active in your community • communicate better with other people • enjoy a more inclusive life Vicdeaf offers many supports and services funded under the NDIS. We can help you to use the NDIS effectively.

Contact us to find out more or to be contacted about our information sessions.

Contact Us Phone: 03) 9473 1100 TTY: (03) 9473 1199 [email protected] www.vicdeaf.com.au/ndis

Communicate Communicate is a bi-monthly newsletter available via email in PDF format or post. It is a source of news and information for deaf and hard of hearing people in Victoria.

Under the Gaslight Under the Gaslight is a monthly newsletter sent by email. It is an excellent source of upcoming events and important information. Fill in this form and post this to: Communicate Editor, Level 4, 340 Albert St, East Melbourne VIC 3002 or you can subscribe on www.vicdeaf.com.au. 10

Want to subscribe? Yes, I want to receive: Communicate via email Under the Gaslight via email Communicate and Under the Gaslight Name: Email Address: If you wish to receive Communicate via post, please contact Vicdeaf.

Looking after your Mental Health in the Workplace at work can impact your mental health and cause changes in your behaviour. Some behavioural changes that may be a sign of a possible mental health issue include avoiding colleagues at work, increased tiredness and fatigue, increased alcohol and drug use, loss of interest in hobbies, difficulty concentrating, becoming angry or frustrated easily, having negative thoughts or regularly late for work.

Stephanie McDonald

Having just joined the team earlier this year, Stephanie McDonald is an Employment Consultant at SensWide Employment. She is deaf and bilingual in both Auslan and English. She presented at the first national Deaf Mental Health Conference on 16-17 November. Nearly 180 people attended and here is her advice:

Looking after your Mental Health in the Workplace Recently, I presented at the Deaf Mental Health Conference at Deakin University. I presented on the topic ‘Looking After Your Mental Health in the Workplace’. Almost half of the Australian population between the ages of 16 – 85 will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. As a result, 21% of Australian workers have taken time off work in the past 12 months because they felt stressed, anxious, depressed or mentally unhealthy. It is estimated that ‘untreated’ mental health conditions cost Australian workplaces a total of $10.9 billion every year due to staff absenteeism. Employees with mental health conditions tend to avoid telling their employers about their condition due to fear of discrimination or rejection, or fear of losing their job.

What are some of the things that you can do to prevent your mental wellbeing from deteriorating? • Manage your stress levels at work • Take a break (10 minute walk around the block)

Here is a great video with captions from Heads Up Australia about the shared responsibilities of creating a mentally healthy workplace: www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7uUabeszRc Mental health is important: make sure you look after yourself!

• •STEPHANIE MCDONALD Want to know more about SensWide Employment? SensWide Employment provides a diverse range of services for deaf, hard of hearing, low vision or blind job seekers in Melbourne. Services include: •

Assistance with joining the program



• Do something you are good at (keep up your hobbies)

Career counselling and training options



Preparing a professional resume

• Communicate with friends and families



Job interview practice and support



Providing access to the Employment Assistance Fund



Workplace modifications (e.g. flashing alarms, TTYs, etc.)



Disability Awareness Training



Auslan interpreters



Workplace assessments



Ongoing support as required



And more...

• Maintain a healthy lifestyle (Sleep well, eat well, and participate in regular exercise)

• Ask for help or support Heads Up Australia is a fantastic website (www.headsup.org.au) offering support and advice for employees who have a mental health condition. Their website includes a tool that helps employees weigh up the pros and cons of telling their employer about their mental health condition and tips and advice on how to start the conversation with their employer. Other sources of support and help include beyondblue, your work’s Employment Assistance Program (EAP), your GP, friends and families, and Disability Employment Services (DES).

Contact [email protected] or add us on Skype ‘senswide.employment’ for a chat!

Looking after your mental health in the workplace is extremely important. High stress levels and poor stress management Right: Stephanie McDonald at the Deaf Mental Health Conference. Stephanie presented on the topic, ‘Looking After your Mental Health in the Workplace’. Photo source: SensWide Employment.

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Australian Deaf Games 2016 Update Are you coming to the 2016 Australian Deaf Games in Adelaide? It is not to be missed!

Above: Beach Volleyball at the 2012 Australian Deaf Games, held in Geelong, Victoria. Photo source: Deaf Sports Australia.

Australian Deaf Games

The registration fee includes:

Starting on Saturday 9 January, sport competitions will include athletics, beach volleyball, cricket, eight ball, golf, mixed netball, squash, table tennis and touch football. Come with family, friends and meet new people! Fees are as below:

- Opening and Closing Ceremonies

REGISTRATION FEES 1 Nov – 5 Jan ADULTS $210 CONCESSION $185 (Senior, Centrelink, Student) YOUTH $165 (13-17 years old) CHILD FREE (12 years old and under) FAMILY 2 $585 (2 adults & 2 youths) $375 FAMILY 1 (1 adult and 2 youths)

- Games Hub Entry - Deaf Community Expo Entry - Entry to all sports - Entry to social/cultural events and - a Games Registration Pack.

Contact information

To contact or find out more about the Games, go to: Website: http://austdeafgames.org.au Email: [email protected] SMS: 0401 538 552

For the children, the Australian Deaf Mini Games will commence on Wednesday 13 January, 9am-12pm. All deaf children, hearing brothers and sisters, CODAs between the ages of 5-12 will participate. Bring your family and friends to watch and cheer on the participants! Children will participate in soccer, 3 legged races, egg and spoon races, sack races and more.

• •SOPHIE LI

www.vicdeaf.com.au

/Vicdeaf

Victorian Deaf Society Level 4, 340 Albert Street, East Melbourne, VIC 3002. TTY: (03) 9473 1199; Voice: (03) 9473 1111; Fax: (03) 9473 1122; Email: [email protected]. Toll-free for country people: TTY: 1300 780 235; Voice: 1300 780 225.

/Vicdeaf

Vicdeaf office hours: Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm. Regional offices: Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Sale and Wangaratta.

/company/vicdeaf

/InfoVicdeaf /vicdeaf_goes_visual