13 June 2018 

Year 11 student Phoenix Andrews says he's

not being challenged in class
A sweeping review will be done of Victoria's oldest deaf school
over claims it is discouraging students from completing the
Victorian Certificate of Education - the certificate that the
majority of students in Victoria receive on satisfactory
completion of their secondary education.

Sad state of hearing assistance in aged care

The Australian Aged Care Quality Agency is currently
developing guidance material for the new Aged Care Quality
Standards.

Headphones could be making you deaf

The World Health Organisation estimates more than 1 billion
young people are in danger of hearing loss from portable
audio devices, including smart phones. But it's not just
teenagers who are at risk. Anyone who uses headphones for
more than 90 minutes each day could be jeopardising their
hearing.

Queens Birthday honours announced

Congratulations to Adjunct Professor Harvey Dillon for
distinguished service to science, and to engineering, as a
researcher in the field of hearing loss assessment.
And also to Colin Allen for significant service to people who are
deaf or hard of hearing through national and international
leadership and advocacy roles.

We  acknowledge  the  traditional  custodians  of  the  land,  community,  sea,  and  waters  where  we  live  and  work.   We  pay  our  respect  to 
elders past, present and future and value the contributions Indigenous Australians make in our society.  We acknowledge the challenge for 
Indigenous leaders and families to overcome the unacceptably high levels of ear health issues among first Australians. 
'Serious matters': Minister orders review of deaf school
By Henrietta Cook, Education Editor at The Age

Victoria's Education Minister has ordered a sweeping review of the state's oldest deaf school amid
concerns it is discouraging students from completing the VCE.

The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is the certificate that the majority of students in
Victoria receive on satisfactory completion of their secondary education. The VCE provides diverse
pathways to further study or training at university or TAFE and to employment.

The school was established in 1860 and last year enrolled 74 students across prep to year 12.

Parents have accused the Victorian College for the Deaf of ignoring children's needs and
employing staff who can’t properly communicate with deaf students.

“Parent concern, staff dissatisfaction and student unhappiness have grown to acute levels over the
last two years,” they recently wrote in a letter to Education Minister James Merlino. Mr Merlino
said the Education Department’s review would examine the college, its teaching practices and
ways of improving outcomes for students. The deaf community will be able to provide feedback.

“These are serious matters and it is important we consider them closely,” Mr Merlino said.

“Students who are deaf or hard of hearing have the right to every educational opportunity non-
deaf students have and we will make sure that is the case.”

Parents allege that completing the VCE is “actively discouraged”, with not a single student set to
graduate with the high school certificate this year.

“Without access to VCE, no student at VCD will have the opportunity to attend university. Their
options have been radically restricted. VCD students no longer have the same educational
opportunities as their hearing peers,” the letter says.

They also claim that an increasing number of staff at the school don’t use Auslan or only have
limited sign language, making it difficult for them to communicate with students.

This has led to students with better hearing having to translate staff's instructions into sign
language for their classmates.

While the state school is funded as a special school, parents say it has no psychologists, social
workers, occupational therapists and limited access to a speech therapist. Music, dance and
drama programs are also absent from the St Kilda Road school, they claim.
Evie Andrews said she felt pressured into enrolling her son Phoenix into the VCE’s vocational
alternative, VCAL. She said the VCE would have been a better fit for her son, who excels at maths,
English and Auslan. “VCE wasn’t really presented as an option,” she said. “It was sold to me that
VCAL was the better option.”

Year 11 student Phoenix Andrews says he's not being challenged in class. Photo: Simon Schluter

Phoenix, who dreams of working as a train driver for Metro, said he was not being challenged in
class. “Here I am in year 11 and I’m sitting down twiddling my thumbs,” he said. The 17-year-
old plucked one of his recent maths worksheets from his school bag to show The Age. It instructs
students to use paper and glue to create three-dimensional shapes and measure them. “When I
got it, I thought ‘I think I’ve already covered this in grade 4.” He said he was doing more
advanced maths when he was attending a mainstream primary school in Bairnsdale.

Camilla Kruse, a mother of a year 8 student at the school, said parents simply wanted their
children to have the same opportunities as others.

“These children are coming out without an education. They cannot do further studies,” she said.
“It’s absolutely heartbreaking. We don't want our children to come out of year 12 and heading
straight for Centrelink because they have no other options.”

All the parents' concerns were put to the Education Department, which passed them on to the
principal. The school’s principal Angelique den Brinker did not respond to specific questions, but
said she welcomed the review because it would address concerns raised by the school community.

“We work extremely hard to give our students the best education we can and we’re always willing
to improve,” she said.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/serious-matters-minister-orders-review-of-deaf-school-20180609-
p4zki3.html

One in Six invited the College to comment on the claims, but there was no response at the time of
publication.
The sad state of hearing assistance in aged care
Deafness Forum of Australia is deeply concerned about the continuing, widespread lack of
recognition and effective management of hearing loss in aged care services.

This is despite government accreditation requirements,

overseen by the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency,
having been in place for two decades.

Deafness Forum became aware of the absence of

necessary hearing assistance training for aged care staff
- from registered nurses to direct carers and the teams
of Quality Surveyors employed by the Australian Aged
Care Quality Agency to monitor aged care facilities.

In response to this situation Deafness Forum has, over the past few years, achieved inclusion of
hearing assistance in the relevant VET qualifications and has developed a wide range of free
training resources for both in-service and pre-service purposes -
https://www.deafnessforum.org.au/resources/training-resources-in-hearing-assistance-in-aged-
care-services-and-hospitals/

However, it is obvious to us that education alone will not overcome the widespread indifference to
the needs of hearing impaired ‘consumers’. Enforcement by the Australian Aged Care Quality
Agency is crucial.

The Australian Aged Care Quality Agency is currently developing guidance material for the draft
single set of quality standards (Aged Care Quality Standards). The new Aged Care Quality
Standards, developed by the Department of Health, will come fully into effect in July 2019. The
guidance material will assist service providers to comply with the new Aged Care Quality
Standards, and will form a new framework for quality surveyors to assess compliance.

Deafness Forum was deeply disappointed to find that hearing loss, which is so prevalent amongst
aged care consumers (75 - 85%) and has such serious implications for quality of life and medical
wellbeing, was ignored in the recently published draft guidance created by this Agency.

Deafness Forum met last week with the team at the Agency responsible for finalising the guidance
material to make our case for an explicit reference to hearing care in the document that is
presented to the Health Minister for his approval.

Deafness Forum’s position is that it is crucial that the guidance material must make very clear that
hearing assistance is an essential requirement. A statement about hearing assistance in the
guidance material is essential if hearing assistance is to be taken seriously by providers and
quality surveyors.
Scientists develop method to repair damaged structures
deep inside the ear
Researchers in the United States have developed a new approach to repair cells deep inside the
ear - a potential remedy that could restore hearing for millions of elderly people and others who
suffer hearing loss.

"What's new here is we figured out how to deliver a drug into the inner ear so it actually stays put
and does what it's supposed to do, and that's novel," said Charles E. McKenna, a corresponding
author for the study and chemistry professor at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and
Sciences. "Inside this part of the ear, there's fluid constantly flowing that would sweep dissolved
drugs away, but our new approach addresses that problem. This is a first for hearing loss and the
ear. It's also important because it may be adaptable for other drugs that need to be applied
within the inner ear."

The paper was published April 4 in the journal Bioconjugate Chemistry. There are caveats. The
research was conducted on animal tissues in a petri dish. It has not yet been tested in living
animals or humans. Yet, the researchers are hopeful given the similarities of cells and
mechanisms involved. They are already planning the next phase involving animals and hearing
loss.

The study breaks new ground because researchers developed a novel drug-delivery method.
Specifically, it targets the cochlea, a snail-like structure in the inner ear where sensitive cells
convey sound to the brain. Hearing loss occurs due to aging, working with noisy machines and
too many loud concerts. Over time, hair-like sensory cells and bundles of neurons that transmit
their vibrations break down, as do ribbon-like synapses, which connect the cells.

"We're not saying it's a cure for hearing loss," McKenna said. "It's a proof of principle for a new
approach that's extremely promising. It's an important step that offers a lot of hope."

Science News, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180404154630.htm

Cora Barclay Centre to merge with Can:Do 4Kids

Can:Do 4Kids, Townsend House and Cora Barclay Centre issued the following statement last
week.

“We are writing to share some exciting news with you. For some time Can:Do 4Kids, Townsend
House and the Cora Barclay Centre have been working toward a merger to secure the future of
the Cora Barclay Centre’s services. Last night (28 May) Cora Barclay Centre members voted on
this proposal and we are pleased to confirm that the vote was positively endorsed.
“We believe this merger will allow us to work toward providing even more exceptional services
and outstanding outcomes to all to Deaf and hard of hearing children and their families.

“It will facilitate greater access for current Cora Barclay Centre clients to additional services under
Can:Do 4Kids, such as paediatric hearing aid fitting, occupational therapy and assistive technology
and allow for seamless transition between services, along with greater research opportunities to
help us drive improved outcomes for all Deaf children.

“We don’t envisage any significant changes to our services in the short-term, and will keep you
informed of changes as they occur.

“If you have questions please feel free to contact Amanda Haskard, General Manager, Cora
Barclay Centre or Heidi Limareff, Group Chief Executive, Can:Do Group - or alternatively you can
email us at questions@candogroup.com.au.

Advertisement

Deaf History International conference comes to Sydney

This conference is the most important international gathering for Deaf history scholars and
afficionados, and it’s finally coming south of the equator – to Sydney, 17-20 July this year.

Here are five great reasons to come to DHI2018:

1. There will be some fascinating presentations about the historical politics of sign languages and
sign systems – if you work with sign languages, it’s good to know how they have evolved,
how colonialism has influenced them, and how Deaf communities have been affected by
educational philosophies. Check out the program on our website.
2. There will be a long overdue focus on deaf people from First Nations and developing
countries, including keynote presentations from indigenous deaf Australians Rodney Adams,
Sue Frank and Dr John Gilroy; and from Sibaji Panda of India. We are also providing an Open
Forum for deaf people from least developed countries to discuss the problem of doing
historical research in formerly colonised deaf communities. These ‘voices’ are rarely heard,
and we are really excited to be able to include them on our program.
3. You’ll get to meet cool people from different countries – we will have people attending from
as far afield as Uganda, the Philippines, Japan and India, Europe and North America.
4. It will be accessible – all presentations will be delivered in, or interpreted into, both Auslan
and International Sign. All proceedings will have real-time captioning.
5. You’ll enjoy some of Sydney’s iconic locations – such as the Welcome Reception at The Mint,
tours of sites like Hyde Park Barracks (with Open Access guides in Auslan and International
Sign), and an evening cruise on the beautiful Sydney Harbour.
See www.dhi2018.com for all the details about registration and program.
Your headphones could be making you deaf
By ABC medical reporter Sophie Scott and Rebecca Armitage

In the modern world, many of us are wearing headphones all day, every day. But experts fear
our constant exposure to audio played straight into our ears could be creating a prematurely deaf
generation of Australians.

"We are very concerned. Most people who are working or travelling are now wearing ear buds,
But they don't necessarily know the sound levels they're exposing themselves to," Professor David
McAlpine, director of research at the Australian Hearing Hub, said.

The World Health Organisation estimates more than 1 billion young people are in danger of
hearing loss from portable audio devices, including smart phones.

But it's not just teenagers who are at risk. Anyone who uses headphones for more than 90
minutes each day could be jeopardising their hearing.

PHOTO: "We should be protecting ourselves from intense sound," says Professor McAlpine. (ABC News:
Rebecca Armitage)
A 2017 study by National Acoustic Laboratories found one in 10 Australians regularly cranks up
the volume on their headphones to more than 85 decibels — the equivalent to standing next to a
running lawn mower.

"When hearing damage starts, then you're really on an irreversible journey. If you don't protect
your hearing, you're going to damage it for life," Professor McAlpine said.

It's currently estimated one in six Australians will suffer some degree of hearing loss during their
lives.

That's expected to rise to one in four by 2050, thanks to an ageing population and our regular
exposure to dangerously loud noises.

PHOTO: "I rely on my ears for my producing and mixing, and especially when I DJ and sing," Elizabeth
Rose said. (ABC News: Rebecca Armitage)

DJ, producer and singer Elizabeth Rose spends most of her life with a pair of headphones on.
But after years performing in booming nightclubs and venues, the 27-year-old noticed the first
signs of tinnitus creeping in. Tinnitus is a constant ringing in the ears, and is usually one of the
first signs of hearing damage. "After gigs, I would just hear this wall of noise, like a constant
fuzz. As I would get into bed and everything else would be quiet, I would notice the ringing
sound," she said.

Terrified by the prospect of losing her hearing, Elizabeth dramatically changed how she worked.
She invested in custom moulded ear plugs to wear under her headphones, and she keeps away
from speaker stacks while performing on stage.

"My voice is my instrument, but my ears are equally as important," she said. "If my hearing got
worse, I'd have to pull back on touring, which is the main income as an artist these days. So it's
just too much of a sacrifice."
The Australian Hearing Hub recommends using headphones for no more than 90 minutes a day,
and the volume should never go beyond 80 per cent. A good rule of thumb is that if others can
hear the sounds coming out of headphones while you are wearing them, they are too loud. And it
doesn't matter whether it's death metal or classical music — what's important is the volume and
duration of your listening session.

"We have to take some personal responsibility. But we also need to put the onus back on
headphone manufacturers to come up with the right goods," Professor McAlpine said.

PHOTO: Experts say the standard ear buds that come with your phone are okay, as long as you're
disciplined about volume. (ABC News: Tom Hancock)

The global earphones and headphones market is worth about $12.6 billion, but it's expected to
grow to $20.8 billion by 2025.

"The price doesn't really strongly correlate with the sound quality or the protection, so you have
to be very careful about what you're actually buying," Professor McAlpine said.

The standard ear buds that come with your phone are okay — as long as you are disciplined
about volume. But Professor McAlpine is not a fan of many of the chunky, over-ear headphones
on the market because they emphasise bass, prompting listeners to crank up the volume.

"You should think about getting some noise-cancellation headphones, because they stop you
increasing the sound level of your audio to get above background noise," he said.

What about kids? Kids today are the first generation to have access to portable audio and
headphones from birth. But experts say it's too early to tell what impact a lifetime of headphone
use will have on these digital natives.

Parents who are concerned about their child's exposure to noise can set restrictions to limit the
maximum volume on most devices. Apple allows parents to secure volume restrictions on their
child's phone or mp3 player with a special password. If your child likes to watch videos on their
computer, you download web apps on Chrome, which lets you restrict the volume setting.

Professor McAlpine says everyone should approach noise the same way they would junk food,
alcohol or sun exposure.

"You need to go on a noise diet. If you're going to a noisy gig, don't spend all day on public
transport listening to your earbuds," he said. "We should be protecting ourselves from intense
sound. If we don't, in the future we'll have big problems."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-06/headphones-could-be-causing-permanent-hearing-damage/9826294

Queens Birthday honours announced

Order of Australia – Officer in the General Division (AO)
Adjunct Professor Harvey Dillon, NSW.
For distinguished service to science, and to engineering, as a
researcher in the field of hearing loss assessment,
electrophysiology, and rehabilitation, and to improved auditory
technologies. The director of National Acoustic Laboratories
2000-2017, author and co-author of more than 200 scientific
articles.

Member in the General Division (AM)

Mr Colin Allen, NSW.
For significant service to people who are deaf or hard of hearing through
national and international leadership and advocacy roles. Service includes that
of president of the World Federation of the Deaf, chair of the International
Disability Alliance, and president of Deaf Australia for nine years.
Nominations open for the 2018 Human Rights Awards

“Our annual Human Rights Awards acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of the many
extraordinary Australians who quietly advance human rights in the community,” said Australian
Human Rights Commission President, Rosalind Croucher, pictured with last year's Human Rights
Medal winner, Johnathan Thurston.

Nominations can be submitted under nine categories: the Human Rights Medal, the Young
People’s Human Rights Medal, Law Award, Business Award, ‘Racism. It Stops With Me’ Award,
Government Award, Community Organisation Award, Tony Fitzgerald Memorial Community
Individual Award and the Media Award.

Nominations close on 5 August 2018. The 2018 Awards will be presented in Sydney in December.
https://hrawards.humanrights.gov.au/?mc_cid=f04e000564&mc_eid=90bfb4d2c4

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