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The AGM was a good success with a good turn out of support.
Seven people were elected at the committee. These were: Ted Foot, Emma Gordon, Craig Gordon, John Crawford, Heather Loades, Marilyn Gordon and Phil Vandepeer.
At the executive's next meeting, held in mid October, the following office bearers were elected:
You will find the chairpersons report presented at the AGM at the end of this newsletter. You will also find a write up of Barrie Mackie's (DeafSA CEO) speech regarding interpreter services at DeafSA.
We will be undertaking some further fundraising, although on a considerably smaller scale than last year. We will let you know of these fundraising events or drives as they happen.
Over the previous year we received a number of phone calls form various organisations and individuals wishing to become involved in blind, deaf or deafblind activities., At this stage we are limited in what the association can offer to DeafBlind people as we have a small support base. When we have more people willing to attend social function we will indeed organise these. Meanwhile, people contacting the association are referred to other organisations depending on what they want. For example, one young man has been referred to Blind Welfare as he was keen to become involved in more sports. We encourage these people to become members of DBASA as well.
We have always provided information sessions on various topics. We will continue to do the same this year. However, we would like to hear from all recipients of the newsletter what they would like us to organise. We have had indications that people would like another tactile signing workshop. We would also like to hear from you what times are best for you. If people could pleas take the time to fill in the small survey at the end of the newsletter it would be greatly appreciated.
The Executive Committee has already begun planning for the 2004 DeafBlind Awareness Week. We will let you know about these details as they evolve.
We have had some serious discussions as to where the association is heading and what we intend to do for the next year. However, we would still like to hear from all our newsletter recipients (and beyond!) as to what you want us to do, to provide and undertake.
We have discussed topics for workshops and information sessions. In the past these have been relatively well attended, but not as well attended as we would like. We are particularly keen to hear from eductors and caregivers as to what they want to know more about.
If you could take some time to fill in the short survey enclosed with this newsletter. it would be greatly appreciated. Please feel free to pass this on to other family members, colleagues and so forth. We would really appreciate it if all organisations and education providers could pass a copy of this survey to all staff. You are also welcome to respond via email (dba-sa@ihug.com.au).
Once again I urge newsletter recipients to become members. We have a small membership base which we would like to expand. The more members we have, the more feedback we receive and the better the association can become. Membership is open to anybody with an interest in deafblindness or dual sensory impairment.
Membership forms can be downloaded from our website, or requested to be sent through post or email.
We are particularly pleased to welcome CanDo4kids Townsend House, The Royal Society for the Blind and DeafSA as organisational members.
The raffle was drawn at the AGM by Barrie Mackie, CEO of Deaf SA. The raffle raised nearly seven hundred dollars for the Association. The winners were:
Special thanks to volunteer, Donna Toft, who sold most of the 700 tickets!!!! What an effort!!!!
Conference details are slowly filtering through. The theme is 'DeafBlind and Moving On'. It will be held from July 2nd to July 5th 2004 at the Rydges Riverwalk, Richmond, Melbourne. Accommodation is available in the same complex as the conference. We have some details regarding accommodation and registration costs available. Please contact us if you would like this information. The association will try and secure some funding for SA delegates if any opportunities should arise.
If you are db or dsi and wish to attend the conference and need help raising funds, please let us know and we will do what we can to assist. The Association will be happy to receive tax deductible donations on your behalf. If you would like to support SA delegates please feel free to send donations to the association with a note specifically stating who the donation is intended to support. All donations of $2 and over are tax deductible. Craig and I are hoping to attend and have also started to seek private donations.
The conference is not only an amazing display of knowledge sharing, education, awareness and a way of keeping up to date with the db area, but an excellent opportunity to meet with other deafblind people form all over Australia. It is a highly valuable experience. If you have never been before - give it a thought!
I would like to tell you a Christmas story that is of Christmas past, My Christmas past.
I will take you back to school, (Townsend House) where I was a full time boarder. Each year we put on a performance for speech day, it could be in the form of singing, as a choir, or folk dancing, or a play.
The front of the school building would be set-up with the deaf kids on one side of the front entrance and the blind on the other.
1971 speech day will be one I will never forget, as it was a deaf and blind school combined effort. Both schools had to perform the nativity story, with movement and music. The blind school provided the music and the deaf school played out the nativity story. The Blind school started putting together the music side of things as far back as late September, so that the deaf school knew what sort of music was going to be used, and so we could record it for the deaf school to rehearse their part. The musical parts were, recorder players a harp, piano, choir and a couple of narrators telling the story of Christmas as the deaf school acted out the parts.
On the final day, it all came together as a stunning performance, and was very well received.
As I said at the beginning, this is one day I will never forget as long as I live.
I hope you enjoyed this little story and that you have a very happy Christmas and a happy new year too.
Phil Vandepeer.
Craig and I welcomed Amelia Hazel Gordon into the world at 1:46pm on August 22nd. Weighing in at ten pounds and six ounces, Milly (as she is now known) is doing well. Milly has had hearing and vision test and thus far both appear to be fine. Thank you to everyone who sent there wishes and support both before and after the birth.
We still have in our possession one mobile phone valued at $250. We have decided to raffle this off to all our newsletter recipients. This is a free raffle! Just fill in the slip enclosed in this newsletter and send it to DeafBlind Assoc Xmas raffle, PO Box 196, Christies Beach, SA, 5165. Entries close December 31st, 2003.
Local resident, Shirley Farqhar has written a collection of twenty short stories about local vision impaired people. The book, 'Life Ain't So Dim After All' is available by phoning 8294 1123 or writing to Unit 4/6 Second Ave, Glenelg, SA, 5045. the book costs $22, inclusive of postage and handling, and profits go to Royal Society for the Blind and Blind Welfare.
The Association spent a good part of the year planning the National Launch of the 2003 DeafBlind Awareness Week. The Australian DeafBlind Council; approached the Association during the conference and asked whether we would undertake this task. The extraordinary effort was well worth it, culminating in a week of events highlighting deafblindness, fundraising for the association and celebrating the lives of deafblind people.
The week began with a family fun day held on CanDo4Townsend House grounds. An information evening was held on resources for deafblind persons, with speakers from Sensability, SAIL and CanDo4kids Townsend House. A quietly successful trivia evening raised funds for the association and unintentionally raised some awareness. Helen Keller Day was celebrated with our traditional cake cutting ceremony. We were thankful to have MP, Robyn Geraghty in attendance and cut the cake. The week ended with a terrific workshop in tactile signing and a video on renowned Australian DeafBlind man, Billy Sinclair. Through out the week two deafblind persons addressed a number of senior secondary classes, talking about deafblindness and their lives.
Through out the planning process and the actual week a huge number of people gave their time and support in a variety of ways. I would like to make mention of all these people:
Kay Tindall, Allan Tindall, Andrew Daly (RSB), Paul Creedon (Sensability), Elisa Adams (CanDo4kids Townsend House), Georgena Robertson (CanDo4kids Townsend House), Claire Cotton (CanDo4kids Townsend House), Barry Mackie (DeafSA), Heather Loades (DeafSA), Tom Walker (snr), Tom Walker (jnr), Becki Walker, Christina Walker, Pauline Locke (Strathmont), Stephen Hellier, Rhonda Nelson, Michelle Thredgold, Rotary Club Somerton Park and Robert Milton.
And these organisations:
Strathmont, Townsend House, IDSC, Guide Dogs SA & NT, DeafSA, Sensability, Royal Society for the Blind, Successful Adults in Life (SAIL).
Lastly I must make a special and personal thank you to Jane Nelson (SAIL) who quietly put in an extraordinary effort to assist the working committee and support the awareness week events.
I hope I have not forgotten to thank anyone. There was such great support from so many people and the association is thankful to every one of those people.
We have undertaken a huge fundraising drive. Well, at least it is huge for an association our size. Some of this fundraising was to help towards the cost of DeafBlind Awareness Week. We had some wonderful prizes donated to include in our raffle. At the time of writing we are still selling tickets and the raffle will be drawn at the AGM. We sold a number of 'Entertainment Books', raising a small amount of money. We have been selling chocolates and hope to clear these all before the heat of summer arrives.
The newsletter continues to be a major source of information. We have had three large newsletter thus far this year, all packed with lots of information. We must thank a number of Strathmont staff and clients, particularly Pauline Locke, who help print, collate and distribute the newsletters. This is a huge undertaking. Sensibility (Sensory Options as it was known) continues to distribute the newsletter to their deafblind and dual sensory impaired data base. The Royal Society for the Blind produces our newsletter in an audible format for those who wish it in this way. Of course the newsletter wouldn't even happen if it weren't for the efforts of John Locke who edits and formats it all..
I must also thank Geoff Dibdin, our auditor for again auditing our accounts. A copy of the audited accounts will be included with this newsletter. In addition Geoff assisted me with a complicated RevenueSA application this year.
DeafSA continues to support the committee by supplying us with meeting rooms. They also supply the committee with interpreters at every second executive meeting so our deafblind members, who require interpreting, can attend and participate fully.
The executive committee should also be mentioned for their ongoing effort, particularly the secretary and treasurer who undertake inordinate amounts of extra work, while balancing full time work and families.
The majority of delegates from the 2002 Sydney conference reported at the previous AGM. However, since that time, our Premiers Grant for sending two delegates over was acquitted and finalised. The final monies of $200 was distributed equally among the four executive members at that time who attended the conference largely at their own expense. They were Arnold Cielens, Ivo Elts and Craig Gordon and myself. This was by agreeance of the whole committee.
I feel I may have neglected the association slightly due to a complicated pregnancy. At the time of writing his report I am due to have a baby in two days. It has certainly knocked me about, but somehow I got through Deafblind Awareness Week in one piece and still standing! I must thank Craig for his support during this time. I need to also thank John Crawford, for his ongoing support and knowledge in times of confusion.
Craig and I are looking forward to attending the 2004 National DeafBlind Conference to be held in Melbourne in July and hope we can bring back some useful information and knowledge.
I hope I have served the committee and the association well this past year. I have enjoyed being the chairperson which has been a new experience and a somewhat challenging role for me. I look forward to spending another year with the committee, further expanding our membership and support base.
With thanks,
Emma Gordon.
President.
DeafSA has an interpreting services department which has traditionally provided Auslan interpreters, and is currently finding an increasing requirement for a deafblind service.
This is offered in two ways. Firstly, a service for which a fee is charged which is generally for the support of services such as public hospitals, law courts, Centrelink and police etc. And secondly a no fee service which is provided for individual people who need interpreting services when, for example, they access private medical, dental, legal services and other life important events.
DeafSA has found that the available money was not nearly covering the cost of providing these no fee services and about a year ago the Board had to tell the State Government that they would have to discontinue the provision of the non-fee services. Emergency funding from DSO was granted to allow provision of these services to June 30th 2003.
Until 1996 these no fee services were provided by the Commonwealth Government. But because the Commonwealth Government decided Auslan is not a "language of settlement", the funding was discontinued. Since then the need for interpreting services has grown, resulting in very substantial losses each year. Facing such losses, a tough decision had to be made and the Commonwealth was informed that no fee interpreting services would cease to be provided from July 1st 2003.
In response the Commonwealth has undertaken a scoping study which is due to be completed by 24 October 2003. The study is looking at the interpreting needs in Australia across the full range of situations in addition to private medical and dental requirements. Unfortunately the Commonwealth would not agree to provide interim funding while the scoping study was being undertaken.
A decision was therefore needed to prioritize the application of available funds in the different areas in which interpreting services are needed until the scoping study is completed and a funding decision is made. As part of the prioritizing it was decided to quarantine some funding to provide deafblind relay interpreters. It is not yet clear as to how many hours can be funded but when it is known the Deafblind Association of SA will be notified.
Barry is very disappointed with the Commonwealth Government. Although interpreting for non English speaking migrants is still supported, Senator Vanstone had made it clear no funding for the Deaf would be provided until the scoping study had been completed. The community is most unhappy, as evidenced by the protests and a petition with 10,000 signatures on it which was tabled in Parliament by Senator Stott-Despoja.
Hopefully there will be a satisfactory outcome when the scoping study report is provided to the Commonwealth Government and then the cancelled services will be able to be re-established. Barry will tell us when it is resolved.
The President thanked Barry for speaking to us, and this was supported with acclamation.
The DeafBlind Association of SA does not necessarily endorse or support any of the articles that appear within this newsletter. We include articles that may be of interest to the deafblind and wider community. The Association thanks the continuing support of the Strathmont Centre in printing these newsletters at no cost. We also thank John and Pauline Locke for producing and mailing the newsletter. We support the blind community in providing easy to read, text only newsletters. We also provide this newsletter in alternative formats.
PO Box 196, Christies Beach SA 5165
dba-sa@ihug.com.au
WISHING EVERYBODY A VERY SAFE AND VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON.
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