1April2015

Young Australian of the Year

We catch up with Drisana Levitzke-Gray.

Entrepreneurs that audiologists hate

A hearing aid package which eliminates the need to visit a
specialist has not endeared the entrepreneurs behind it to
their audiologist peers.

Review of curriculum for Diploma in

Nursing
Enrolled Nurses are employed in a wide range of nursing
fields and can be influential in recognising the needs of
people in their care who live with a hearing difficulty.

Cochlear Implant Upgrades

The decision was unexpected and has caused concern
among families, particularly those who have already lodged
an application for an upgraded processor as that application is
now likely to be rejected.

Human Rights trainer position available

Deafness Forum invites applications to participate as its
representative in an international Train the Trainers workshop
on the Human Rights Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities in Vietnam.

We acknowledge the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their

continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them
and their cultures, and to elders both past and present. We acknowledge the
challenge that faces Indigenous leaders and families to overcome the unacceptably
high levels of ear health issues among first Australians.

A review of the curriculum for the

Diploma in Nursing for Enrolled Nurses
is being conducted nationally.
Enrolled Nurses are employed in a wide range of
nursing fields and can be influential in recognising
the needs of people in their care who live with a
hearing difficulty.
Deafness Forum has made four key recommendations to the review.

Need 1. Hearing assistance needs to be adequately identified in appropriate parts

of the curriculum.
The government requirement that units of competency be simplified and streamlined will
result in the use of generic descriptors within the units this will create uncertainties. Given
the widespread lack of knowledge and understanding of hearing impairment, course
designers and teachers may not recognise hearing assistance as being part of broad
generic requirements.
Deafness Forum is requesting that appropriate generic descriptors closely related to
hearing assistance are included in relevant units of competency and backed-up in
the accompanying teaching guide with a brief but specific statement of the hearing
assistance that needs to be provided.

Need 2. Hearing assistance needs to be presented as an integral part of nursing

care, particularly for our increasing elderly community.
Australia has a very good government Hearing Services Program which provides fully or
partially subsidised hearing aids to eligible people including pensioners and veterans.
Nurses (and carers) need the skills to assist clients to manage their aids effectively where
necessary otherwise use of hearing aids is likely to be abandoned. Currently only one in
four Australians who need hearing aids use them.

Need 3. There is a crucial need for Enrolled Nurses to be equipped to support and
oversee implementation and maintenance of hearing assistance in residential and
in-home care as well as in hospital settings.
With the inclusion of hearing assistance in the Diploma, Enrolled Nurses would be well
placed to provide the necessary mentoring support and oversee measures to introduce and
sustain hearing assistance.

The general support of Registered Nurses is essential but they seldom have time to
oversee routine hearing assistance and may not have received training in this area.

Need 4. Enrolled Nurses would be well placed to ensure that patients' hearing aids
or alternative listening devices are used and cared for while in hospital.
Hearing impaired patients often experience real difficulties in using their hearing aids or
alternative listening devices while in hospital and loss or damage to these items is
sufficiently common that many people are discouraged from taking them to hospital.
This situation is unacceptable from both a medical assessment and compliance perspective
and because of the great stress it can place on vulnerable hearing impaired patients. Lost
or damaged hearing aids are expensive to replace whether this cost is borne by the patient
and/or by the government.
Enrolled Nurses are trained to take part in hospital admission and discharge procedures
and, with a knowledge of hearing assistance, would be well placed to contribute to rectifying
the present situation.

Sign Online is an introductory course in Auslan (Australian Sign Language) and deaf
culture.
It's been created by Deaf Education Network, the education department of the Deaf Society
of NSW.
http://www.auslanonline.nsw.edu.au/

Hearing aid entrepreneurs audiologists hate

Larissa Nicholson, Business Review Weekly

A hearing aid package which eliminates the need to visit a specialist has not endeared the
entrepreneurs behind it to their audiologist peers.
But Dr Elaine Saunders and Professor Peter Blamey say positive feedback from clients who
previously could not afford to address their hearing problems makes up for the criticism.
Both respected scientists in their own right, Saunders and Blamey are the Melbourne team
behind IHearYou: a system which allows ordinary people to test their own hearing, buy
hearing aids online and adjust them to get them working in the best possible way, all
without visiting a specialist.
In Australia, more than four million people have hearing loss and most dont do anything
about it because of prohibitive costs, distance from services and perceived stigma.
Unfortunately, untreated hearing loss often leads to physical, cognitive and mental health
complications, says Saunders, herself a trained audiologist.
IHearYou removes these cost and distance barriers. Were disrupting a cosy, overpriced
industry. And we are working hard to address the social stigma.
http://www.brw.com.au/p/techgadgets/the_hearing_aid_entrepreneurs_whom_HpAGv2tRIbTZoSJtq7ErZM

Interview with Drisana Levitzke-Gray, Young

Australian of the Year 2015
David Brady and Todd Wright, respective chairs of Deafness Forum of Australia and Deaf
Australia spoke recently with Drisana.
How did you feel at the moment it was announced you were the 2015 Young
Australian of the Year?
There are no words to adequately sum up the feeling
at that exact moment when they announced me as
the recipient of the Young Australian of the Year
Award. It was mixture of happiness, excitement,
shock and an overwhelming sense of honour. Once
we received our awards, we were rushed out back
towards the Parliament House where there was a
flurry of activity, with media and print journalists
waiting to take photos and conduct interviews. I did an
interview with Sky News, then a radio interview with
ABC. After about two hours, all the award recipients
managed to return to family and friends where we
could share our excitement with our loved ones, who
had lots to say to us!
There must have been many amazing people you met at the Australia Day awards
ceremony. Did you have a chance to share with them Auslan and promote the
national language of the Australian Deaf community?
I did indeed meet a number of lovely people during the Australia Day awards ceremony and
throughout the course of the weekend. We had an official morning tea with Prime Minister,
Tony Abbott, and dinner with the Governor General as part of the functions over the
weekend and I was able to get to know some of the impressive nominees a little better it
was an amazing group of people drawn from different walks of life and experience, all
contributing to change for the better in Australia. I managed to teach some well-known
people a bit of Auslan, including Adam Goodes, AFL player for Sydney Swans (and
previous Australian of the Year); Deborra-Lee Furness, adoption advocate, actress and wife
of Hugh Jackman; Dr Tim Soutphommasane, Race Discrimination Commissioner, and so
on. There was never a moment when I wasnt promoting and sharing our very wonderful
and beautiful language, Auslan, with all the guests and finalists of the Australia Day
Awards.
How busy were you after winning the awards? We saw you on television a few
times. Did you have to travel to each studio or were you able to be interviewed from

one location? Did they provide any interpreters to ensure that your message gets
across to their audience?
Extremely busy! I could never have anticipated exactly how busy I was to become. I was
given media advice and tips from the Australia Day Council representative whilst at the
Awards about the fact that things were going to take off, and that I have a right to say no to
some projects/requests. There is no funding attached to the award at all, so its not that I
receive any bursary to cover my costs to take on additional work or to travel etc its all
done voluntarily unless an organisation offers a fee or to cover travel etc. It wasnt till the
first week had passed that I started to worry, oh my gosh, is this what the rest of the year
will be like?! in terms of how busy it was and just how much attention the awards had
drawn. Very exciting in terms of raising the profile of Auslan and of the Deaf community,
but also a little overwhelming for a 21 year old juggling part time work and studies and living
in Western Australia (not ideal for travelling to the east coast!). The morning after the
Awards, all the award recipients had about 5 interviews with different media companies (7,
9, 10, ABC, Sky News) from 5am to 8am. So I was up at about 4am to drive over to the
Parliament House where all the studios were these are studios specifically for news
regarding the parliament and government. I had 3 interpreters with me that whole weekend
so everything worked out just fine and the interpreters did a great job ensuring my message
came across.
For the other interviews since the awards weekend (magazines,
newspapers, Sunrise etc), I requested the studios organise and cover the cost of
compatible interpreters, and that has all worked out well so far. They all instantly
recognised the importance of having a suitably skilled Auslan interpreter if they wanted to
interview me, and access to date has not been an issue. Ive had a couple of trips since to
the east coast for awards-related commitments and media obligations, but I have also done
some of my interviews from Perth.
What was the best moment for you in winning Young Australian of the Year?
The recognition, publicity and the media and Australias interest and attention regarding
Auslan and the Deaf community. Its a long time since we had a national platform of this
nature to use and to promote our beautiful language as well as to raise the profile and
status of the Deaf community. The whole Awards weekend and presentation was an
amazing experience personally, but nothing can beat the fact that this was really a win for
the wider Deaf community in terms of raising awareness of the concept of Deaf gain not
hearing loss, and conveying the message to wider society that its OK to be Deaf!
What message do you hope to promote in your year as the award winner?
I am promoting the beauty of Auslan, how it is a language that belongs to Australia, and is
used by a community of people that can be considered a linguistic minority. While
promoting and encouraging Australians to celebrate and embrace Auslan, I want to also
highlight the harsh truth that Deaf children suffer when they are denied their right to have
full access to a language where they can communicate and express themselves
completely. Linguistic impoverishment in the early years for Deaf children when deprived of

access to a visual language may lead to them experiencing mental health issues, isolation,
and low self-esteem, not to mention poor educational outcomes, under-employment and
unemployment. We must take action to improve access to Auslan for Deaf children in
infancy, support hearing families in their efforts to learn it, expect educational institutions to
embrace Auslan as a viable first language for Deaf children, and promote it as a valuable
second language for LOTE (Language other than English) teaching in schools to hearing
children too, to encourage a more accessible and accepting society in general. Auslan as a
LOTE programs in schools also allow Deaf children to formally study Auslan in the same
way hearing children study English. In addition, we need more funding for research on
Auslan, and a greater investment in resources and opportunities to learn Auslan (teacher
training, materials etc). Deaf people should also be able to access messages and
information in the wider community in Auslan, via for example, Auslan interpreted
broadcasts of emergency updates during times of crisis, or Auslan translations being
available on websites, particularly for government services/agencies etc.
What things have you learnt from this experience that we could benefit from to create
positive exposure for Deaf Australians, and their families?
We all need to work together for the common good, the greater cause. We need the
government to take responsibility for the well-being of our Deaf children. We need constant
positive exposure about Auslan, and about the Deaf community. We need many more Deaf
role models out there, meeting the parents of newly diagnosed babies and families of Deaf
children, so they know that their child too can aspire to be whatever they dream to be. We
need reliable funding for programs such as the Auslan for families, a project which is
already developed and run by the WA Deaf Society but does not have recurrent funding
from the government. Such a program should become national, and available for every
family to access. Parents can access Better Start government funding of $12,000 per child,
yet only half of that sum can be used for parents to access Auslan programs. The full
amount however is able to be used by parents for therapy services, including speech
therapy, if they so wish. Why does the allocation discriminate against access to Auslan
programs? We need to change the attitude and mentality of the government and of
Australian society and to remove the stigma associated with using sign language. To do
this, we all need to work together - united we stand, divided we fall.
What do you think are the top three issues affecting the Deaf community today?
My response is skewed to an extent based on my particular platform and there are many
other issues I could have raised, however my key concerns are:
1. The right of Deaf children to have access to Auslan from birth (in the home, school etc).
2. Appropriate and recurrent funding is required for Deaf service providers and
organisations.
3. Access to emergency broadcasts on TV via Auslan (whether natural disasters or man
made such as the Sydney Siege) and Auslan translations on relevant websites.

Cochlear Implant Upgrades

Australian Hearing receives an annual funding allocation from the Department of Health to
deliver hearing services to people who are eligible for services under the Australian
Government Hearing Services Community Service Obligations Program. The allocation
includes funding to provide upgraded technology for children and young adults up to the
age of 26 years who have been fitted with a cochlear implant.
A new cochlear implant speech processor was recently released by Cochlear Ltd.
Australian Hearing has advised that it is unable to meet the demand for the new technology
from the current funding allocation and has introduced criteria to limit access to the new
processor.
Australian Hearing has advised that its inability to meet the number of requests for the new
speech processor is not related to funding cuts. Australian Hearing has reported that the
demand was higher than expected and therefore exceeded the funding allocation.
It is not known whether the funding shortfall will be corrected in the next financial year or
whether the limitations on access to the new technology will continue.
The decision to apply a fitting criteria was unexpected and has caused concern among
families, particularly those who have already lodged an application for an upgraded
processor as that application is now likely to be rejected.
An additional concern is that the Department of Health has indicated that components of
the Community Service Obligations Program will be transferred to the National Disability
Insurance Scheme and is currently estimating the funding that will transfer between the two
Programs. It is critical that these estimates recognise that the existing funding levels for
cochlear implant upgrades are inadequate to meet demand for children under the
Community Service Obligations Program.
If you wish to obtain more information, Australian Hearing has provided a generic email
address: Info@hearing.com.au

Human Rights trainer position available

Deafness Forum invites applications from suitably qualified and available individuals to
participate as its representative in an international Train the Trainers workshop on the
Human Rights Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), 4-6
September, 2015 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The aim of the workshop is to provide the participant with sufficient skills and knowledge to
deliver CRPD/human rights training to the hearing impaired, hard of hearing sector in their
own country.
Travel to Vietnam, accommodation for 2 nights (room sharing where feasible) and meal
costs will be paid for.
This is a volunteer position.
We invite you to nominate for this exciting human rights training opportunity.
The deadline for receipt of your application is Wednesday 22 April 2015.
After training you will:
be involved in promoting the signing and ratification of the UNCRPD and then its
implementation and monitoring in their country.
monitor opportunities to provide input into various UN instruments and support them to
develop interventions.
research and input as requested to the international CRPD Human Rights programme.
deliver the human rights national messaging and strategies through training forums.
inform the international Human Rights programme about national opportunities as well
as successful interventions as a means of sharing good practice.
liaise with other international organisations as appropriate to facilitate and strengthen
the CRPD/human rights message.
QUALIFICATIONS
Active links to and networks through the hearing impaired, hard of hearing sector
Post-secondary education in a related field an asset
Personal experience of hearing loss issues an asset
Basic understanding of human rights legal concepts an asset
Experience in teaching adult education an asset
To obtain the background information and application criteria, email
info@deafnessforum.org.au

Ruins of ancient audiology centre discovered off

coast of WA

An international team of archaeologists has unearthed the ruins of an ancient hearing

health care centre on a remote and uninhabited archipelago near Port Hedland, Western
Australia.
The team from the University of Bologna, Italy believes that the number of building
foundations and artefacts already discovered on the site suggests that it could have been
the centre of a flourishing and sophisticated practice dating back to more than 1500 years
ago, completely unknown to historians until now.
The site was first noticed on satellite pictures taken in 2014 using newly developed groundpenetrating radar.

Remains of what is thought to be an ancient audiologist

Team leader, Professor Guillermo Moriondo, whose forebear was the inventor of the
espresso machine, claims that the extent of the site and the superposition of various layers
of constructions, suggests that it was occupied for 400 to 500 years, from approximately
470 AD until the 9th Century. He believes that it was a unique and thriving centre for ear
care in the Indian Ocean basin.

Unearthed: early hearing aid

This was certainly a technologically advanced audiological centre that practised a level of
international trade, says Professor Moriondo.
It would have been very influential throughout the region with an extensive network of
clients reaching as far as Indonesia, Malaysia, China and India.
The team speculates that the ancient centre was abandoned because of fluctuating ocean
levels, causing the disappearance of sophisticated treatments and hearing technologies
unrivalled until the present day.

Artists impression of the hearing health care centre, circa 470 AD

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