On this page you will find information on current Projects undertaken by Deafblind West Australians.
How to be Seen and Heard
This Seen and Heard project is funded through 2-year NDIS Grant under the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) Individual Capacity Building program and the Australian GOvernment Department of Social Services. How to be Seen and Heard is a collaboration between the National Peak Body of people who are deafblind, Deafblind Australia and Deafblind West Australians, the WA peak body.
The Seen and Heard project will be to co-design and coordinate training programs with deafblind people to develop skills and confidence using accessible digital technology. As a part of this project the Project Officer will research what is already available, building on existing resources, forming partnerships with deafblind people and other deafblind organisations to understand the support required of deafblind people and other deafblind organisations to understand the support required by deafblind people.
Providing training to people who are deafblind on how to access the digital world for communication, knowledge and self-expression will support this cohort to engage within their deafblind community, the disability community and mainstream society to a much greater extent. The information will enable people with deafblindness to make self-governing decisions, affording the freedom of choice and helping them to more fully understand their individual needs and to express those needs.
People with deafblindness experience frequent communication breakdowns and miss much information that sighted and hearing people pick up incidentally and take for granted. For people who are deafblind to understand and access information, often additional effort is required to present the information in a range of alternative formats.
This project caters for an essential need for people with deafblindness to effectively communicate in our digital world. It will make them visible and give them a voice. Currently people who are deafblind are isolated, unseen and unheard. How to be Seen and Heard provides a structured and supportive environment to enable people who are deafblind to develop the skills and confidence to participate in our ever increasingly digital world.
As part of the Seen and Heard Project, Deafblind West Australians has created an opportunity for people who are deafblind to “connect” at our DBWA Connect Drop In Centre. The DBWA Connect Drop In centre is open on Wednesday (fortnightly), We are a drop in centre focused on assistive and adaptive technology literacy in the Deafblind Community. The DBWA Connect Drop In centre is where people who are deafblind can help each other.
The DBWA Connect Drop In centre is located at The Rise, 28 Eighth Avenue Maylands from 12:30PM to 4:00PM
DBWA Connect Drop in Centre on Facebook
DBWA Connect
Stronger Together Mental Health Project
Deafblind West Australian’s “creating more inclusive services and communities together” is designed to support people living with deafblindness to learn and develop strategies for awareness and early intervention for better mental health outcomes. The project in 2021 will do so by delivering a two day forum and developing permanent resources that will:
- Support the unique accessibility, communication and support needs of this cohort
- Build capacity and networks for people who are deafblind
- Raise community awareness of the needs of deafblind people in order to live and participate in inclusive communities
- Developing skills and understanding of local providers to deliver appropriate, accessible services
- Help meet the needs of deafblind people to access mental health support at a local level
With an overall view to build the capacity of people who are deafblind to participate in their community and create opportunities for more inclusive services and communities.
Mental health issues occur at a higher rate for people living with deafblindness. Isolation is a significant issue given communication and access challenges that this cohort face on a day to day basis. Communication modes of people who are deafblind can require utilising several methods to ensure full access to information including:
- Auslan
- Tactile Auslan
- Finger spelling
- Tactile object cues
- Oral
- Lip reading and
- Assistive technology
These needs are rarely adequately accommodated in community settings. This project will support members to increase their understanding of mental health issues and develop networks and strategies that will assist with supporting their own communities and beyond in formats that are fully accessible to their needs.
Department of Social Services Grants
and
Community Grants Hub
See us, Hear us, Know us, Join us – Deafblind Capacity Building Project
This project seeks to build capacity within members by providing opportunities to meet in settings where communication needs are facilitated so members can come together where they can communicate with ease and are included. The project also seeks to build the capacity of the Deafblind West Australians Board members as Board members and running this group autonomously.
The project is divided into two streams, the first stream is Individual Capacity Building, which is building the skills of people who are deafblind and the second stream is Organisational Capacity Building which is building the skills of the Board and the firming up the structure and foundations of Deafblind West Australians as an organisation. For 2022, the project officer will be a supportive role while assisting the Board and assisting members as peers to support and lead their peers who are Deafblind.>/p>
This project started in February 2020 until February 2023 is funded by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Information Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) Grant and by the Australian Government, Department of Social Services in collaboration with Deafblind West Australians Inc. Go to
Department of Social Services Grants
and
Community Grants Hub
2019 Australia Post Community Grant
Deafblind West Australians Active is a support group that combines the arts and well-being activities for people with a dual sensory disability. The project will share a message of inclusion whilst beautifying the community.
