1 October 2015

We acknowledge the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respect 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.

Future of Hearing Services A Senate Select Committee on Health has recommended that Government does not sell (privatise) Australian Hearing. “No credible justification has been provided for this intervention, beyond an ideological fixation on introducing contestability, whatever the consequences.”

An ordinary person can change the worldI decided it was easier to change the world than to change me. Through trial and tribulation, I developed effective strategies.

Increased sensitivity to everyday soundsHyperacusis is a condition that arises from a problem in the way the brain’s central auditory processing centre perceives noise. It can often lead to pain and discomfort.

Future of live captioning Technology is likely to help with reducing errors and in cleaning up live captions, but is it possible to provide perfect live captions?

Student scholarship Open now for applications - Catherine Bonnes AM Scholarship assists Deaf and hearing impaired people to further their education by undertaking post secondary studies.

Michael Shepherd dedicated 30 years of service to The Shepherd Centre in NSW, advocating for the rights of children with hearing loss. He recently retired as its chairman and is pictured with children at The Shepherd Centre. “I was young and in my mid-teens when my niece and nephew were born with hearing loss. Like most people then, I hadn’t come in to contact with anyone with hearing loss. My brother Bruce and his late wife Annette then established The Shepherd Centre in 1970 to help their children learn to listen and speak. Back then it was called the Council for Integrated Deaf Education and that’s still the essence of what we do. Rather than sending kids off to special schools, the whole idea was to integrate them into the community. That was the objective then and that is the objective now. “I’m the youngest in the family and Bruce was a bit of a father figure to me so I spent a lot of time with him and Annette. I don’t think they understood at the time just what they were starting. It just didn’t seem such an extraordinary thing to me at the time because I’d basically grown up with it. “Our philosophy hasn’t changed – it’s about integration and the methodology of teaching the parents as much as we teach the kids. There are, however, changes to our teaching approach. We used to teach a lot of lip-reading whereas now that’s not the case. The biggest change has been in the improvement in technology in both hearing aids and cochlear implants. “If you listen to the speech of children in the earlier days compared to their speech now there is a huge improvement. Our kids are equivalent to their hearing peers when it comes to speech and vocabulary and that’s an amazing achievement when you think about it. That certainly wouldn’t have been the case 30 or 40 years ago.

“One of the things I’ve been insistent on is that we should never sacrifice our clinical standards to fit more people in. From our research and talking to others, we know that we have one of, if not the best programs in the world and that is being recognised more and more as our clinicians give papers at conferences across the globe. “If you sacrifice your standards, your influence could easily decline. You can have an influence far beyond the children you’re helping because of the standards and the research. People look at what we’re doing and are influenced by it, which means other children around the world benefit from our work as well.”

How an ordinary person can change the world - at least start the process Imagine waking up one day and learning that your daughter has a hearing loss. Imagine finding out the access your daughter needs doesn't exist in this country but does elsewhere. Then imagine that you could be the catalyst to effect change in this country. I don't have to imagine it, since that is what I did. No one was going to force our family into some alternative "special" universe. I decided it was easier to change the world than to change me. Through trial and tribulation, I developed effective strategies. These are some of the tactics that I used. 1- Don't be afraid to ask for what you need 2- Research the contact person 3- Don't accept anything for free 4- Keep a contacts record 5- Provide solutions and not rants Read more from Janice S. Lintz, consultant, consumer advocate, journalist and traveler at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/janice-s-lintz/how-an-ordinary-person-ca_b_7756394.html

Launch of "Australians at the Deaflympics" Deaf Sports Australia will launch an "Australians at the Deaflympics" display in Melbourne. The display will be opened at 9am on 15 October at the National Sports Museum at the MCG. It will be open to the public from 10am. Exhibits will highlight aspects of a rich Deaflympic history including medals, torches, lights and uniforms that were worn by successful athletes. There will be a video, audio and text presentation via the Conexu app that will showcase various stories and historical happenings throughout the Deaflympic Games.

Future of Hearing Services in Australia A Senate Select Committee on Health has recommended that Government does not sell (privatise) Australian Hearing. Australian Hearing provides hearing services to clients eligible under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program. This government owned organisation includes the National Acoustic Laboratories. In 2014, the Government commissioned a scoping study to investigate issues and options relating to a sale. It has not released the full report. Current options are: Keep the status quo. However, the NDIS will affect Australian Hearing regardless of

future ownership

Investigate what can be done within Government which raises questions around

competitive neutrality Private ownership A Senate Select Committee on Health held hearings to receive evidence from stakeholders from throughout the sector. It recently published its report, available at http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Health/Health/Third_Interim_Report Recommendation 1: Based on the evidence and the concerns outlined by stakeholders, the committee recommends that Australian Hearing should not be privatised. Recommendation 2: The committee recommends that the government provide clarity around the work already done on the transition of the Hearing Services Program to the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Any 'blueprint' or implementation plan should be made public as soon as it is finalised, so as to reassure stakeholders that the quality services provided by Australian Hearing continue to be available in order to ensure that hearing impaired Australians can live the life they deserve. Senator Jenny McAllister, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Health commented on the release of the report: “I was shocked by the lack of clarity provided by the departmental witnesses about how this level of specialisation is to be provided under the new model. I was shocked by the lack of detail about the new model that is proposed, and, like Senator O'Neill, I was shocked by the lack of consultation and engagement with the affected community. This is not a process that is being handled well. “People who are vulnerable who already face disadvantage on many fronts do not need a process foisted upon them that is difficult to engage with, that adds uncertainty and difficulty to their lives and that leaves them without any clarity at all about how their needs will be met in the future. “You will know that the committee's recommendation is that Australian Hearing should not be privatised. We should be very careful about the destruction of institutions that have been carefully built up over decades to play a very important role in the public health of Australians. If it is not broken, then we probably should not seek to fix it. No credible justification has been provided for this intervention, beyond an ideological fixation on introducing contestability, whatever the consequences. “I say to people here: think very carefully before you meddle with an institution such as Australian Hearing.”

Keep in touch with Office of Hearing Services RSS (Rich Site Summary) is an electronic alert system for people interested in being made aware of new content published on a particular web page. If you would like an alert whenever new content is published on the Office of Hearing Services website, here’s what to do.

Go to http://www.hearingservices.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/hso+content/rss/main to see a screen like this:

Select the dropdown (“Subscribe to this feed using”). We selected ‘Microsoft Outlook’ so we can receive updates through our office email system, Outlook.

Moments later, we checked our emails and lots of items such as those highlighted above in blue font appeared in the folder (below).

Future of live captioning Will machines take over the captioning world and automatically provide perfect captions on live programs, events, meetings and the classroom? Although there has been considerable advancement in this area, the levels of accuracy are nowhere near the kind achieved by human captioners and this is unlikely to change in the next few years. Technology is likely to help with reducing errors and in cleaning up live captions that are put onto catch up television versions of programs so that they are synchronised and error-free. But is it possible to provide perfect live captions? The nature of live captions means that there will always be the potential for some errors. People no longer watch live television exclusively on a television set. The use of mobiles, tablets and laptops have changed the way media is consumed. With these devices, the playout, formatting and other presentation are dependent on the settings of the device. This means that standards of quality measuring those things could be meaningless. More from Media Access Australia, http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/latest_news/news/the-future-of-live-captioning

Strategic alliances with primary care medicine Leverage peer-reviewed health science to build a physician referral base The growing awareness of age-related hearing loss as a public health concern represents a monumental opportunity for hearing care professionals to touch the lives of more patients in need of their services. This can only occur if professionals are willing to form partnerships with primary care physicians around the triple threat of untreated age-related hearing loss and the comorbid conditions associated with it. Early intervention of age-related hearing loss and its consequences has the potential to allow individuals the ability to maintain an active and participatory life as they age. To access this report, visit Deafness Forum’s Knowledge Centre at http://www.deafnessforum.org.au/index.php/knowledge-centre 15,000 people visited the webpage in the last year.

Visit the Conexu website, http://www.conexu.com.au/

Catherine Bonnes AM Scholarship The Broken Hill & District Hearing Resource Centre Inc. is a voluntary based not-for-profit organisation that supports Deaf, hearing impaired people and people with an associated disorder of the ear in its region. The Catherine Bonnes AM Scholarship assists Deaf and hearing impaired people to further their education by undertaking post secondary studies. The Scholarship consists of financial assistance towards a degree at an accredited Australian university, college of advanced studies or other such intuitions deemed appropriate by the Scholarship panel. Recipients of the Scholarship will be known as “Catherine Bonnes AM Scholar”. Further information: Phone: (08) 808 86191 or 08 8088 2228; hearthis@australiaonline.net.au

Increased sensitivity to everyday sounds Hyperacusis is a condition that arises from a problem in the way the brain’s central auditory processing center perceives noise. It can often lead to pain and discomfort. Individuals with hyperacusis have difficulty tolerating sounds which do not seem loud to others, such as the noise from running faucet water, riding in a car, walking on leaves, dishwasher, fan on the refrigerator, shuffling papers. Although all sounds may be perceived as too loud, high frequency sounds may be particularly troublesome. As one might suspect, the quality of life for individuals with hyperacusis can be greatly compromised. For those with a severe intolerance to sound, it is difficult and sometimes impossible to function in an every day environment with all its ambient noise. Hyperacusis can contribute to social isolation, phonophobia (fear of normal sounds), and depression. Prevalence And Causes Of Hyperacusis Many people experience sensitivity to sound, but true hyperacusis is rare, affecting approximately one in 50,000 individuals. The disorder can affect people of all ages in one or both ears. Individuals are usually not born with hyperacusis, but may develop a narrow tolerance to sound. Other common causes include:

Head injury Ear damage from toxins or medication Lyme disease Air bag deployment Viral infections involving the inner ear or facial nerve (Bell’s palsy) Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome

There are a variety of neurologic conditions that may be associated with hyperacusis, including:

Post-traumatic stress disorder Chronic fatigue syndrome Tay-Sach's disease Some forms of epilepsy Valium dependence Depression Migraine headaches

Hyperacusis is seen in brain injured children (due to the universal sensory sensitivity), some autistic children, and some children with cerebral palsy).

Diagnosis of Hyperacusis Individuals who suspect they may have hyperacusis should seek an evaluation by an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat doctor). The initial consultation is likely to include a full audiologic evaluation (with a hearing test), a recording of medical history, and a medical evaluation by a physician. Counseling about evaluation findings and treatment options may also be provided at that time. Treatment for Hyperacusis There are no specific corrective surgical or medical treatments for hyperacusis. However, sound therapy may be used to “retrain” the auditory processing center of the brain to accept everyday sounds. This involves the use of a noise-generating device worn on the affected ear or ears. Those suffering from hyperacusis may be uncomfortable with placing sound directly in their ear, but the device produces a gentle static-like sound (white noise) that is barely audible. Completion of sound therapy may take up to 12 months, and usually improves sound tolerance. Because social situations are often painfully loud for those with hyperacusis, withdrawal, social isolation, and depression are common. Hearing Loss Hearing tests usually indicate normal hearing sensitivity and often register at minus decibel levels. Counter to what one might think, this does not mean that those with hyperacusis hear better than others. Instead, it is a clear indication of a problem in the way the brain processes sound. Hearing loss coupled with low tolerance to sound is another termed recruitment, a condition where soft sounds cannot be heard and loud sounds are intolerable (or distorted). For example, a person with recruitment may have hearing loss below 50 decibels while at the same time; sound above 80 decibels may be intolerable. The result is a narrow range of comfortable hearing. Relation to Tinnitus Hyperacusis is strongly associated with tinnitus, a condition commonly referred to as ringing in the ears. Nearly 36 million Americans suffer from tinnitus; an estimated one of every thousand also has hyperacusis. Individuals can have tinnitus and hyperacusis at the same time.

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Disease leaves wombats deaf and blind Of the three species of wombat, two are endangered by sarcoptic mange, spread by parasitic mites, which cause blindness and deafness and can kill them.

Scientists from the University of Western Sydney have developed an app – the wombat survey and analysis tool (WomSAT) – which allows members of the public to upload sightings of wombats with details of the animal's condition.

Julie Old, the head investigator on the project, told Guardian Australia: "Their skin gets thickened and they can become deaf and blind as well.”

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/australia-two-wombat-species-endangered-113924330.html#I52cP1Z

Keen volunteer needed The NSW Government has invited Deafness Forum to nominate a representative to join its Transport for NSW ‘Accessible Transport Advisory Committee’. While the public transport network has made efforts to be more accessible in recent years, there is still considerable work to do. The Committee will assist Transport for NSW to identify barriers in accessing public and private transport networks. There are no sitting fees or reimbursement of meeting attendance costs offered. If this opportunity interests you, please send an email to info@deafnessforum.org.au By way of background, you can read our views on accessibility at our Issues webpage, http://www.deafnessforum.org.au/index.php/issues Scroll downwards to find the information beneath this image:

The International Symbol for Deafness identifies places that provide consistently functional hearing augmentation services. Being an approved and registered user of the Symbol is a simple and swift process that begins with your email inquiry to info@deafnessforum.org.au Approved use of the Symbol will be good for terms of up to two financial years.

For organisations that are members of Deafness Forum of Australia; and for not for profit community, education and religious organisations there shall be no fee for each two years of license for each place.

For small businesses that we believe are setting an example that larger organisations should follow, they shall be acknowledged at our discretion with a reduced or no fee at for each two years of license for each place

For other commercial entities and for government departments, their agencies and publicly owned institutions an administrative fee shall be applied for each two years of license for each place. A reduced fee shall apply for multiple places.

Providers of related advice and/or technical services might consider their duty of care in ensuring clients are aware of the requirements of the domestic trademark owner, Deafness Forum of Australia. http://www.deafnessforum.org.au/index.php/find-out-about/37-access-resources/resources/170-hearing-loops1

Something unexpected and nice happened We received a letter enclosing a cheque from the Aherns group in South Australia - “We recently held an employee “Casual for a Cause” day where employees wore casual clothes in exchange for a gold coin donation.” Deafness Forum was the chosen beneficiary. Ahrens is a fourth generation, family business with construction and engineering operations throughout Australia. The business was established in 1906 in the Barossa Valley by Johann Karl Wilhelm Ahrens (Wilhelm). For the first 50 years, Wilhelm and his son, Bill, ran a blacksmith shop that served the local farming community. In 1960 Bill’s son, Bob, joined the company and being an entrepreneurial engineer, he grew the business by extending its product range to include grain silos, field bins, rural sheds and stone and land rollers. You are good people. On behalf of our members, danke sehr. Thank you very much.

Auslan courses in Victoria Sign Language (Auslan) classes will be held at various locations in Melbourne and Geelong in the week beginning 19 October. http://www.vicdeaf.com.au/auslan.asp

Need Cochlear Implant batteries? CICADA Queensland provides a competitively-priced battery service. The regular price is $40 for members and $45 for non-members for one box of 10 packets. For further information including postage costs, email info@cicadaqld.com.au Items in Deafness Forum communications incorporate or summarise views, standards or recommendations of third parties or comprise material contributed by third parties or sourced from items published in the public domain. Our intention is to attain balance and be representative of all views within the sector we represent, however this may not be attainable in particular communications. Subjective censoring of materials will not occur. Third party material is assembled in good faith, but does not necessarily reflect the considered views of Deafness Forum, or indicate commitment to a particular course of action. Deafness Forum makes no representation or warranty about the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any third party information.