Deafness Foundation

Deafness FoundationDeafness Foundation

Presentation Presentation Better Hearing Australia Better Hearing Australia Annual General Meeting Annual General Meeting

5 Sept 20065 Sept 2006

Wendy MaherWendy Maher

The Deafness Foundation is a The Deafness Foundation is a

not-for-profit organisation founded in not-for-profit organisation founded in

1973 by the Hon. Peter Howson to act as 1973 by the Hon. Peter Howson to act as

an umbrella organisation, forum, an umbrella organisation, forum,

information exchange and to speak with information exchange and to speak with a united voice for the Deaf and hearing a united voice for the Deaf and hearing

impaired in the Communityimpaired in the Community

Who are we?

The Deafness Foundation is The Deafness Foundation is dedicated to the support of the dedicated to the support of the

Deaf and hearing impaired in the Deaf and hearing impaired in the community through Research, community through Research,

Prevention, Education, Prevention, Education,

Early Detection and TechnologyEarly Detection and Technology

The Foundation’s objectives:The Foundation’s objectives:

To promote communication and To promote communication and understanding between all agencies and understanding between all agencies and individuals involved in the field of hearing individuals involved in the field of hearing impairment impairmentTo provide financial and other assistance to people with hearing impairment and to organisations working in the field of hearing impairment

To promote research into all aspects of hearing impairment and its prevention and into the needs of people with hearing impairment

Objectives Objectives continuedcontinued

To acquire and publish information and to undertake community education programs about hearing impairment, its prevention and the needs of people with hearing impairmentTo work in conjunction with other state, national and international organisations with similar objectives

To raise funds to support the activities of the Foundation

Objectives continued

To represent the interests of people with hearing impairment at individual, community, municipal, semi-government and government (both State and Federal) levels

To maintain an administrative structure to support the activities of the Foundation

To achieve the objectives of the Foundation, To achieve the objectives of the Foundation, working committees consisting of experts in working committees consisting of experts in their respective fields have been establishedtheir respective fields have been established

These committees are very active in embracing the needs of the Deaf and hearing impaired

What committees are there?

Auslan

Grants

Rubella

Conductive DeafnessEducation

Fundraising

Hearing Awareness

Noise Induced Hearing Loss

Medical / Audiological

Technology

President’s Auxiliary

What do the committees What do the committees do?do?

Conductive Deafness:Conductive Deafness:

This committee focuses on raising This committee focuses on raising community awareness and educating the community awareness and educating the public about the potential damaging public about the potential damaging effects of Conductive Deafness in young effects of Conductive Deafness in young childrenchildren through the provision of through the provision of information, encouraging research and information, encouraging research and representing this group of children at representing this group of children at Government level whenever possibleGovernment level whenever possible

Committees continuedCommittees continued

Education:Education:

The committee sees it role as one of The committee sees it role as one of disseminating information, providing disseminating information, providing support on all issues which arise support on all issues which arise concerning deaf education and concerning deaf education and contributing to public awareness of the contributing to public awareness of the needs of deaf students needs of deaf students


Grants:Grants:The objective of this Committee is to assess, The objective of this Committee is to assess, financially support and monitor projects financially support and monitor projects undertaken for the benefit of Deaf and undertaken for the benefit of Deaf and hearing impaired people and to support hearing impaired people and to support programs focused on the prevention of programs focused on the prevention of deafness. This is an Australian wide initiativedeafness. This is an Australian wide initiative

Applications for consideration for a Financial Applications for consideration for a Financial Grant close on 31 October each year and are Grant close on 31 October each year and are distributed in February of the following yeardistributed in February of the following year


Hearing Awareness Week: Hearing Awareness Week:

The Hearing Awareness Committee The Hearing Awareness Committee coordinate Hearing Awareness Week. coordinate Hearing Awareness Week. The overall aim is to provide information The overall aim is to provide information to support the Deaf and hearing to support the Deaf and hearing impaired, inform the hearing community impaired, inform the hearing community about a particular theme and raise about a particular theme and raise community awareness of the issues and community awareness of the issues and needs that existneeds that exist

Committees Committees continuedcontinued

Medical/Audiological:Medical/Audiological:This committee is concerned with ensuring This committee is concerned with ensuring medical, nursing and educational medical, nursing and educational professionals and parents are made aware professionals and parents are made aware of and continually updated on the technical of and continually updated on the technical advances being made into the care of the advances being made into the care of the hearing impaired hearing impaired The Committee plays an important role in The Committee plays an important role in providing input to Government and semi-providing input to Government and semi-government authorities on issues relating government authorities on issues relating to hearing Health Careto hearing Health Care


Noise-Induced Hearing Loss:Noise-Induced Hearing Loss:The Committee endeavours to take all The Committee endeavours to take all steps, legislative or otherwise, to ensure steps, legislative or otherwise, to ensure the public is not unnecessarily subjected the public is not unnecessarily subjected to excessive noise and that measures are to excessive noise and that measures are in place to protect hearingin place to protect hearingTo this end, it is in constant contact with To this end, it is in constant contact with bodies such as the Occupational Health bodies such as the Occupational Health and Safety Authority and the Standards and Safety Authority and the Standards CouncilCouncil


Rubella:Rubella:The Rubella Committee is dedicated to The Rubella Committee is dedicated to ensuring all women of child-bearing age ensuring all women of child-bearing age receive vaccination to prevent the onset of receive vaccination to prevent the onset of RubellaRubellaThis Committee is most active in pressing This Committee is most active in pressing Government into an understanding of this vital Government into an understanding of this vital issue, because it is at this level, both state and issue, because it is at this level, both state and local, that action is urgently requiredlocal, that action is urgently required


Technical:Technical:As with all progressive organisations, As with all progressive organisations, the Foundation has a need to the Foundation has a need to constantly monitor changes in constantly monitor changes in technology as they affect the hearing technology as they affect the hearing impaired. This is the role of the impaired. This is the role of the Technology Committee Technology Committee

Patron is Dame Elisabeth MurdochPatron is Dame Elisabeth Murdoch

Governed by a Board of Management comprising 16 members

Employs 5 part time staff (EFT 2.2) and is supported by a dedicated team of volunteers

More about the Foundation

Has one funded position (Rubella Education Officer) and depends on fundraising, donations, bequests, grants etc. to continue to provide and develop new opportunities to support the Deaf and hearing impaired community

The Butterfly was adopted as the Foundation’s logo after a The Butterfly was adopted as the Foundation’s logo after a volunteer, Judy Chancellor discovered that Butterflies are deaf volunteer, Judy Chancellor discovered that Butterflies are deaf too! They are beautiful, admired and lead a full and interesting too! They are beautiful, admired and lead a full and interesting life and above all communicatelife and above all communicate

Judy had a vision that the butterfly could assist the Foundation Judy had a vision that the butterfly could assist the Foundation in its quest to raise funds and increase community awareness in its quest to raise funds and increase community awareness of deafness and hearing impairmentof deafness and hearing impairment

Thus the Butterfly Badge was ‘born” in 1994Thus the Butterfly Badge was ‘born” in 1994

The success of the Butterfly Badge Campaign has grown over The success of the Butterfly Badge Campaign has grown over many years and become the major source of funds to support many years and become the major source of funds to support the Foundation and its Financial Grants Schemethe Foundation and its Financial Grants Scheme

The Butterfly

Deafness Foundation Trust

The Trust was launched in October 1993 with similar aims to the Foundation but with three significant factors:

• All donations are held in perpetuity and the interest only is used for Grants allocations

• Has the right to fundraise and make financial grants available outside Victoria

• Administered by the Trust Company of Australia

More about the Trust

The Trust is governed by two Boards:

• The Trust Awards Board

comprising eminent individuals who can spare the time to develop and implement marketing strategies to attract bequests and enlarge the capital base of the Trust

• The Trust Advisory Board

comprising eminent individuals who lend their names and assist with contacts but are not expected to attend more that a meeting a year

About the Foundation’s Fundraising

The Butterfly Badge Campaign is the major ongoing fundraising initiative of the Foundation in Victoria and through the Trust is an Australian wide project which commenced in 1994

Sales are made possible through the network of schools, organisations providing services to the Deaf and hearing impaired, audiologists, hearing centres, individuals etc.

We are very fortunate to have the support of IGA stores which enables us to sell badges throughout the month of May at their Victorian stores

About the Financial Grants Scheme

Applications are invited for Financial Grants from the Deafness Foundation if residing in Victoria or the Deafness Foundation Trust if residing interstate

Closing date for Applications is 31 October each year

Applications and guidelines can be downloaded from our website www.deafness.org.au or obtained from the officeConsiderations will be given only to those projects which have a demonstrated potential to further the stated objectives of the Deafness Foundation

Grants continued

Other criteria that may result in a positive outcome include:

• That the project is innovative and not a request for recurrent funding of an established program

• The demonstrated inability of the project to attract funding from an alternate source

• The project had clearly defined goals, achievable in a clearly specified time, usually not more than two years

Grants continued

• The project has clearly defined, inbuilt assessment criteria, by which progress can be monitored and reported

• That the organisation applying for a grant has a proven ability to manage funds (the ability to supply an ABN number would be an advantage

• Consideration of applications received after closing date will be deferred until the following year

• It is important that costs be established accurately in the original grant

Grants continued

Projects to the value of $133,000 have been funded in the past twelve months and include:

• Information brochures on Conductive Deafness

• Inclusive Classroom listening

• Deaf Expo

• Purchase of laptop/voice recognition software and technical support

• Reading texts translated in Auslan

• Meniere’s Research Survey

• The Glendonald Speech Teaching Resource

• Makaton workshop

• Auslan Interpreting Mentorship Project

• Objective Assessment of Hearing in Babies

• Transition Camp for Deaf and hearing impaired students…….and more….

Education Encouragement Awards

These awards aim to encourage deaf and hearing impaired students by recognising their commitment and effort

Two awards to coincide with Hearing Awareness Week in late August are made available to deaf and hearing impaired students:1. Secondary School Award: $1,000 open to students in

years 10,11 & 12

2. Post-secondary award: $1,5000 open to students enrolled in post Secondary studies

Applicants must be permanent residents of Australia

Resources available include:

Books for sale: $5 each plus postage

“Savvy” are delightful stories about a young boy with a Cochlear Implant


Books for sale: $10 each plus postage

“Are you being heard”

Information and Teaching Tips for teachers of students with a hearing impairment


Rubella

• Pamphlet:

Information to raise awareness about the risks of rubella infection during pregnancy and promote appropriate vaccination strategies (available in 18 languages)

• Video:

“The risks to your unborn baby” ($10 each available in 10 languages)

• Rubella Poster:

“The risk to your unborn baby” available in 5 languages


Brochures

• Fluctuating Conductive Deafness

“They can’t hear you when they want to!” – available in 6 languages

Teachers! Can your pupils hear you?” – English only

• Noise Induced Hearing Loss

“Is Loud Noise Ruining Your Hearing?”


Posters

• Decibel Range

• Hear Today, Gone Tomorrow

• Don’t turn a Deaf Ear

• Childhood Fluctuating Conductive Deafness

Documents

Deafness Foundation