Marcia Girke-Boyle: A deaf-friendly cruiseMarcia Girke-Boyle met with Kate Matairavula to share her experiences of advocating for interpreters on holiday tours.

You are a keen traveller. How many cruises have you been on and where? The first cruise was to New Caledonia, Fiji and Vanuatu. The second one was to Cairns, the third one I went to New Zealand, and the last one was with Princess Cruises around Australia and to Bali.

Were the cruises deaf-friendly? On the first one, because we were deaf they made sure we had flashing light doorbells and a pager so we could be contacted if there was an emergency. They didn’t have interpreters or captions for the movies or theatre, but we enjoyed it anyway, and there were plenty of activities to choose from such as cards, craft and table tennis.

When you arrive at a place, you can do tours. Did they provide interpreters for the tours? When we first went on tours, we just wrote notes with the guides and got little bits of information.

On the third cruise to New Zealand there were three tours we wanted and we really wanted to get full information, so we needed an interpreter. We booked through a travel agent, and asked them to contact the cruise about providing interpreters for the tours. When we got on board they didn’t seem to know anything about it. However, they did their best and booked interpreters for two of the tours which we were very grateful for. We wrote a beautiful note afterwards to the manager to thank her for booking the interpreters.

On the fourth cruise, I was travelling with my husband and deaf friends and we chose four tours: in Hobart, Western Australia, Darwin and Bali. When we booked I explained that the cruise to New Zealand had provided interpreters and I asked them to provide interpreters for this tour. Later they sent me an email saying that they wouldn’t provide interpreters.

I have a friend who is a lawyer and I asked her for advice. She negotiated with the company, and had to contact the head office in America. I don’t know how long it took her to do all the negotiations, but when we picked up our tour tickets on board the ship there was a letter with them saying that interpreters had been booked!

It was great getting access to all the tours. In Bali it was interesting; they hadn’t booked an interpreter, but they booked a deaf tour guide who took us with a hearing driver on the tour all by ourselves. Near the end of the cruise we wrote a note to the tour manager to thank her for booking interpreters.

NSW Deaf HeraldEquity for deaf people

Issue 09 - Spring 2012

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What’s your advice about getting interpreters on cruise tours? Give plenty of notice for cruises so they have time to organise it, and if it fails, keep trying and asking. Access like doorbells and pagers are easy for them to provide, but tours are different and it takes more time. Be prepared to negotiate again every time!

From the CEOWelcome to issue nine of the NSW Deaf Herald.

We have had a number of ‘firsts’ since our last edition.

• Deaf Professionals Network held their first event for the Central Coast/Newcastle region in June with 19 people attending. Thanks to our presenters David Parker and Todd Wright for making the trip up. We always get requests from people wanting workshops in regional areas and this is something we are trying to do more.

• For the first time we entered a “Gold team” in the City2Surf. Our “Gold team”, Lise Clews, Amy Clews, Apenisa Matairavula, Monica Ulibarri and Alastair McEwin ran 14 kilometres aiming to not only raise money for the Deaf Society but also to raise awareness of our vision of equity for deaf people. It was a cold, windy day but all athletes completed the run with only a few aches and pains. A big thank you to Lise Clews for taking the lead and signing up as our first entrant.

• We were announced winners of the Excellence in Workforce Development Award at the NSW Disability Industry Innovation Awards held on 14 August. This is the first time the Awards have been held. We were delighted to be recognised for our genuine commitment to inclusion of deaf people in our workplace. Both Auslan and English are valued equally in our workplace; deaf culture is respected; deaf people are in leadership roles. We have created a culture of inclusion with a whole-of-organisation approach. The NSW Disability Industry Innovation Awards are an initiative of the NSW Government in partnership with National Disability Services NSW.

The last thing I wanted to let you know about is our AGM on 27 October. It would be great to see you there.

Sharon Everson Chief Executive Officer

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Editorial Hello.

My word for this edition is “advocacy”. You will see that this is the theme of this newsletter. “Advocacy” can mean:

• Active support

• The art of persuasion

• The act of pleading, supporting or recommending something

• To change minds or influence people

One way to advocate is to get to know your local MP. So I invited the Hon. Dr Geoffrey Lee who is the local state MP for Parramatta to visit. Geoff saw our office, met some of the staff and listened to our concerns. I also met the Hon. Carmel Tebutt who is the MP for Marrickville and the NSW Opposition Minister for Education and Training. She was very interested in Auslan and it was a great reminder for me of how important it is for deaf people themselves to meet people who work in government. This simple thing of talking to someone in Auslan with an interpreter can be very powerful for people who have never talked with a deaf person!

Happy reading!

Kate Matairavula Manager, Advocacy and Community Development

Future submission deadlines (Email: herald@deafsociety.com)Edition 10 Edition 11 Edition 12 Edition 13

Deadline 1 Nov 2012 1 Feb 2013 1 May 2013 1 Aug 2013

Released 1 Dec 2012 1 March 2013 1 June 2013 1 Sept 2013

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DSNSW Board Profile - Gillian MahonyI have served as a Director of the Deaf Society since November 2010. However, my first involvement with the Deaf Community was as a Stage Manager with the Australian Theatre of the Deaf in 1994. In 1996, I qualified as a para-professional Auslan interpreter before graduating with a Bachelor of Law in 2000.

I have been involved in a number of voluntary board and management positions since 1993 including Pride, Sydney Lesbian and Gay Community Centre, the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, and the NSW Bar Association New Barrister’s Committee.

Outside of work, I play women’s baseball and do kickboxing. I also play soccer for the NSW Bar Association at lunchtime. I love riding my bike (Harry the Honda CBRR 250) on a sunny day with friends but Sydney weather has not allowed a lot of riding this year!

I have been working as a barrister for five and a half years (as a lawyer for six years before that) and hope to be able to contribute all my different skills and experiences to furthering the goals of the Deaf Society and in obtaining equity for all.

National Disability Insurance SchemeYour Say

The Australian Government has established the NDIS Advisory Group to help steer the development of the scheme and make sure people with disability are involved in the design.

Over the next few months, the NDIS Advisory Group will be asking design questions about the scheme and seeking your feedback.

Share your stories, experiences, views and opinions.

This is your NDIS – your say. http://yoursay.ndis.gov.au/

WFD ConferenceCall for Papers – We are now accepting submissions of abstracts for presentations at the Conference. Please see the website, www.wfdsydney2013.com for details on how to make a submission.

There is information available in Auslan, International Sign and English. It is also available in accessible formats for people with a vision impairment. We invite you to have a look at the website and think about presenting a paper.

A big thank you to ACE (Zoe Boyd and Tony Bennetts) who handed out 5,000 postcards about the Conference at the DeafNation Expo in Las Vegas at the end of July. Thanks for your support and helping us publicise the Conference.

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“On this day...” - James Marsters, inventor of the TTYIn Australia the first TTYs became available in 1980 and it was at the Deaf Society in Stanmore where it was first tested.

On an evening in May 1980, over 300 people crowded into the Stanmore auditorium to witness the first TTY call. After this successful call, the machine was tested by ‘hundreds of itchy fingers until late into the night.’ The TTYs, called Porta-Printers, could be bought for $795 each.

In July 1980, the RSL Taxi Co. installed a TTY in its radio control room. The RSL Taxi Co. also donated a TTY to the Deaf Society. The growth of TTYs was slow at first, and by September only eight people and four organisations had one. It was not until 1983 that NSW Police installed a TTY in the city, closely followed by Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai hospitals.

UpDATES FROM THE DEAF SOCIETY Contributors: Craig Bishop, John O’Neill, Amanda Faqirzada, Tony Clews, Richard Aarden, Anna Nardi and David McQuiggin.

Launch of the Newcastle OfficeOn Wednesday 18 July the Deaf Society’s Newcastle office was officially opened by the Hon. Tim Owen AM MP who is the state MP for Newcastle.

A selection of service providers, Deaf Society staff and Board members, Deaf Community representatives and notable Newcastle people attended the event to celebrate the launch of the new office on King Street.

Alastair McEwin, President of the Board, began the proceedings with an interesting talk on the history of the Newcastle office.

Tim Owen gave a talk in support of the hard work that we do and recognised that we do it with very little funding.

In the afternoon, Colin Allen led a community afternoon tea session on the planning of the Deaf Society of NSW Centenary Program.

This was a very successful day and a great recognition of all the work that had gone in to locating and moving into the new office, which is in a much better location for our consumers.

We very much appreciate everyone who took the time to come and celebrate with us.

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Cheeky Campaign Launched! Have you seen this in your local coffee shop? Local cinema? Local art centre? (Picture of middle finger on a postcard) We’re not trying to shock – well we are trying to shock, but for a good cause. The postcard is promoting our new online sign language course – Sign Online www.auslanonline.nsw.edu.au

Let us know if you’ve seen it anywhere!

And feel free to explain to your shocked friends that the handshape isn’t rude in Auslan!

Improving Access to TransportPublic transport can be a real issue for many deaf people. NSW Transport held a discussion group at the Deaf Society to find out what deaf people deal with when using public transport.

It was a great opportunity for us to share our experiences, barriers, and suggestions of how access can be improved. One thing we would like to see is having announcements on the trains captioned so we don’t miss out on important information or important information sent to us via SMS.

NSW Transport will use the information and issues that were raised at the discussion group to help with their planning and hopefully they will make some changes.

St John First Aid Course – It’s a First for NSW to Have Two Deaf First Aid Instructors.Bridget Nunan and David Parker are well known as deaf teachers of various courses. They recently added to their list of what they can teach and are now qualified First Aid trainers, possibly even the first deaf ones in NSW. They were taught by a deaf trainer from Queensland, Sandra Keir. As part of their training, they were required to teach a two day course. Ten deaf participants obtained their Apply First Aid certificate through the course. The participants enjoyed the class very much due to the deaf trainers delivering the course in their primary language. A second course has also been taught in Newcastle.

The Deaf Society values the partnership with St John Ambulance who helped make this course possible. We look forward to delivering more Apply First Aid courses with them. We also hope to secure sponsorship so that we can provide captioning and interpreters for future courses.

To express your interest in a course contact Tony Clews, tclews@deafsociety.com.

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Voting Information in AuslanIn Australia we have three different levels of government; Federal (Australian) Government, State (NSW) Government, and Local Government (or Councils). If you are an Australian citizen and 18 years or older you must be on the Electoral Roll and vote at elections.

In NSW, there are Local Government elections on Saturday 8 September 2012.

Rules for Local Government elections vary from state to state. In some states you can choose whether or not you want to vote in Local Government elections. In NSW, you must vote in Local Government elections if you are on the Electoral Roll.

With Local Government elections, you are voting for people to make decisions about local issues like libraries; pools and ovals; local roads; garbage and recycling; planning and development; cultural venues and events. You are voting for councillors (the people who make council decisions). In some councils, you also vote for the mayor. In other councils, the councillors decide who the mayor will be.

You must vote in the area where you live. With State or Federal elections you can vote in other areas. With Local Government elections you can’t – you have to vote in your local area. Polling (voting) places are open from 8am until 6pm on Election Day.

If this is not possible, you can vote before Election Day at a pre-poll voting centre (usually at the local council chambers).

NSW Electoral Commission contracted the Deaf Society’s Translation Service to make a series of Auslan videos to explain how to vote, the different types of ballot (voting) papers and about the three different types of elections in Australia. The videos can be seen at:

http://vote.nsw.gov.au/accessible_information_brochures/accessible_info_local_elections/auslan_with_captioning_and_voice_over

Local Government elections are your chance to have an influence in how your local community is run.

Greasy Fingers SigningThe Diploma of Auslan started this year with a class of 19 students. This is only the third time this course has been provided in NSW. On Saturday 4 August, the students and a group of deaf volunteers participated in the Diploma of Auslan Only BBQ – a FIRST! It was a great day filled with challenging activities such as improving fingerspelling and use of space as well as eating! Feedback was positive and we hope to run this again next year for anyone that has Certificate IV in Auslan and above. Well done to the Diploma students and congratulations to the blue team for winning on the day!

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Visit from Father CyrilThe Deaf Society staff and the Ushers Group were honoured to have a visit from Catholic priest, Father Cyril Axelrod. Fr Cyril is deafblind and from South Africa. He has worked in many places around the world and currently lives in England. He talked to us about apartheid in South Africa when deaf black people did not know there were deaf white people and vice versa. He worked to bring the two groups together. He also worked in China for many years seeking to give deaf children access to education and freedom from the cultural shame of being deaf. It was inspiring to learn about his work and service over many years.

Job In JeopardyThe Employment Service has a program called ‘Job in Jeopardy’. Your job may be in jeopardy when you are at risk of losing your job because of illness, injury, or disability. We can help you stay in your current job or find a more suitable one with the same employer.

We would like to share a story with you about how we helped someone whose job was in jeopardy.

Emma (not her real name) had only started working as a housekeeping attendant for about 10 weeks. Unfortunately she had a serious fall at home and had to go to hospital. She asked the hospital staff to fax the employer the medical certificate to let them know she could not go to work. Emma returned to work a few days later with a medical certificate and the employer told her that she no longer had a job. The employer said they did not know she had a fall and never received the fax. They assumed that she had left her job. At this point, it was clear that Emma has been unfairly dismissed.

Emma asked the Employment Service to support her in her unfair dismissal application to the Federal Magistrates Court of Australia. This lasted for about nine months. The application was very long and filled with legal jargon. Because Emma was on low income benefits through Centrelink, she did not have a lot of savings and therefore could not afford to pay for a lawyer. The Employment Service supported her financially at the start. We were successful in finding a legal aid agency who organised for her to have a lawyer for free. The lawyer was very understanding of the situation and met with us to discuss and successfully negotiate mediation with Emma and her employer.

Mediation took an entire day with the successful outcome being that the employer accepted that this was unfair dismissal and offered Emma her job back. Emma then had a big decision to make: would she return to work for them, or accept a payout?

Emma said was happy working there as it was the perfect environment for her and she enjoyed working with her co-workers. She decided to return to work. The employer then agreed to back pay her the amount of the money that she had missed by not working. They also increased her rate of pay.

Providing this support to Emma empowered her to make decisions to advocate for her rights as an Australian citizen who is entitled to fair and equal treatment.

If you feel that you would benefit from job in jeopardy assistance please contact our Employment Service, or attend the ‘Walk in’ service available each Thursday from 1pm – 3pm.

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AdvocacyThis issue is focussing on advocacy. We often don’t think of MPs doing advocacy but they do. They need to represent the people in their electorate so when an issue is brought to their attention they can advocate to the government for them. MPs know how the wheels of government turn so they are in a good position to influence ministers.

We often don’t do any advocacy until something becomes a barrier for us. When we are denied the opportunity to do what other people can do, it can make us roll up our sleeves and take action.

Interview with the Hon. Dr Geoffrey LeeKate Matairavula met with the NSW Member of Parliament for Parramatta, Dr Geoff Lee to discuss life in politics.

How long have you been an Mp?

I’ve been an MP for 16 months.

What did you do before that?

After working for myself in small business, I went on to pursue an academic career, most recently at the University of Western Sydney as Associate Dean.

How did you get involved in politics?

As an Associate Dean at UWS I had significant exposure to government bodies and parliamentarians. When an opportunity came up to stand for Parliament I jumped at the chance to have a more influential role in determining better outcomes for our community.

Moving from business and education to politics, what were the surprises?

There are a couple of things that people don’t tell you before you become a parliamentarian! When you’re on the outside you think change is easy, but when you are there, change is always compromised. I think sometimes the temptation is to give in to the loud minority at the expense of the silent majority. Slow change is better because people need certainty in business, health, and the community.

Was there a lot to learn?

It was funny when I was first elected, one morning we were talking about the Northwest Rail Link and that afternoon it was social housing! The principles are the same but there is a lot you are expected to know.

Was the NDIS another thing you had to learn?

Yes. Now with the NDIS it’s about finding the right funding mix between states and the feds and how we administer it.

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What are the rewarding parts of being a politician?

The best things are those that no one ever sees you do. For example, a woman I saw when I first came into office had a daughter with a disability and needed to get equipment installed to assist with her daughter’s mobility - specifically moving her from the bed to the bathroom. It took us three months of work, but we did it. When you get a win it’s so nice because it can make such a huge difference in a person’s life.

Advice for deaf people meeting local MPs?

If you want to meet with your local MP, consider what specific outcomes you want, and what information the MP might need to know to assist you. Even if you are meeting face-to-face it’s often best to put things in writing. Sometimes we get feedback that we never thought of before, and it can actually change things.

MPs can also write to respective ministers on your behalf.

Mps have a lot on their plates, lots of reading, lots of demands. How do you relax?

My schedule is set months in advance, so if you have young children, don’t become a politician! To relax, I go fishing, but I haven’t been for a while.

Deaf people in NSW are not full Australian citizens Written by Alastair McEwin

If a deaf person lives in NSW and is an Australian citizen, this means they can do things like apply for an Australian passport, vote in elections and apply for a job with the government. However, there is one thing that deaf people in NSW are currently not able to do: be a member of a jury in criminal or civil cases. The NSW government currently discriminates against deaf people by not allowing them to be a member of a jury. This means that deaf people in NSW are not seen as full Australian citizens.

What is the role of the jury? In a criminal trial, jury members need to decide on the facts of the case and whether a person is “guilty” or “not guilty”. In civil cases, juries often decide what compensation or damages (if any) a person should receive.

Initial university research demonstrates that deaf people, working with Auslan interpreters, are able to follow and understand jury proceedings. Further extensive research will be conducted in this area to prove that with appropriate support such as Auslan interpreters or real-time captions, deaf people can participate on an equal basis with hearing people as members of a jury. Deaf people have served on juries in America and New Zealand.

Michael Lockrey, Board member, first got involved in advocating for change when he was sent a letter from the Office of the Sheriff (NSW) asking him to appear for jury duty. The Office of the Sheriff is responsible for organising juries. Michael contacted the Office of the Sheriff and asked them to provide captions for him. They did not respond and when he turned up at court, there were no captions so he had to leave. Michael then made a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission saying he had been discriminated against.

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Alastair McEwin, President of the Deaf Society, also recently lodged a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission on the same issue. Alastair decided to take action on this issue because he was becoming increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress by the Office of the Sheriff to include deaf people in the administration of justice. This includes the ability to request Auslan interpreters when deaf people are asked to serve on juries. To date, the Office of the Sheriff has been silent on how they will include people who are deaf in their services. Alastair’s complaint is on behalf of himself and others who are deaf.

Alastair and Michael will keep you informed of the developments on these complaints.

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SILENT MESSENGER (Deaf Australia (NSW) Inc.)

National Week of Deaf PeopleNational Week of Deaf People (NWDP) is coming up and will be from 20 – 26 October. The theme is “Sign Bilingualism is a human right”. We have been working with Parents of Deaf Children and the Deaf Society to create some exciting events. We especially encourage you to attend the breakfast event at Parliament House. This will be a great opportunity for us to talk about what we want included in the National Disability Insurance Scheme and what we need to do to make sure government knows our needs. John Della Bosca will be a really interesting presenter and he will be able to share with us how government works. Karen Lloyd will also be presenting on the NDIS and how we can get involved. Colin Allen will talk about the theme and the work of WFD. We hope to see you there.

Representing Deaf PeopleOne of the main things DA (NSW) does is represent deaf people in NSW. We do this by attending various disability advisory groups. Sherrie Beaver has attended a Westpac consultation on their disability action plan. She is also attending the NSW Transport disability advisory group. This is one way of making sure the needs of deaf people are considered.

Updated Caption Bill Passed by ParliamentA bill was passed recently to improve on the current conditions of television captioning. Senator Stephen Conroy has announced the upgraded conditions in the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Improved Access to Television Services) Bill 2012. This is to be compulsory by law for free-to-view and subscription television. This will mean complete captioning on all channels (including the digital channels) from 6pm to 12am, an improvement over the previous 6pm to 10.30pm timeframe. This Bill will start in 2013-2014.

Sizzling SausagesWe recently had a Bunnings BBQ at Lidcome to raise money for things like the rent of our office at North Rocks. Luckily it was a nice day and people were out and about and so we made some money and improved our customer service and BBQ skills! Thanks to the Deaf Society for passing this booking onto us. Thanks to Martha Rundell for helping us out that day.

Kate Matairavula resigns from boardOur Secretary, Kate has decided to resign from the board due to work and family commitments. She has been on the board since 2008, and has served the organisation extremely well with her valuable contributions. With her noticeably strong presence and loyal efforts, she will be missed by the board. We wish her well, and all the best for the future!

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Deaf Sports News

John Lui’s Journey to The Asia Pacific Deaf GamesJohn Lui represented Australia in tennis at the 7th Asia Pacific Deaf Games in Seoul held from 26 May to 2 June, 2012.

It was a very successful trip with John winning a gold medal in doubles with Glen Flindell and a silver in the singles competition.

In the singles competition, John defeated Kosuke Kajino from Japan, Sungsoo Yeo from Korea, Yang Zheng-Bao from China with the final against fellow Australian Glen Flindell. The final score was 6-3, 6-2 to Glen, the better player on the day.

After seven matches in two days, it was a strenuous schedule but ended well with a near-perfect record for John Lui at his first Asia Pacific Deaf Games and winning his first international medals.

The next major tournament will be the 2013 Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria. The next Asia Pacific Deaf Games will be in Taipei, 2015.

NSW Deaf Rugby League players Wanted for Deaf State of OriginNSW Deaf Rugby League is planning to play a match against our neighbour, Queensland. NSW Deaf Rugby League has a very rich history of rivalry against Queensland which we want to revive. We want to form a team for this year’s match which will take place in Brisbane in October.

If you or anyone is keen to play, feel free to contact Matthew Thornley or Ian Slinn – blackpanthersdeafoztag@hotmail.com

2013 Deaflympics – Sofia, BulgariaDeaf Sports Australia is currently advertising for the position of Chef de Mission for the upcoming Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria. They are also seeking expressions of interest for those who want to represent Australia in their chosen sport.

To express your interest to become Chef de Mission or an athlete – please check out www.deafsports.org.au

AFL Team to be Set Up After 20 Years Exile1992 was the year that the NSW Deaf AFL team travelled to Melbourne to participate in the National Deaf AFL tournament and it took 20 more years for someone like Daryl Jordan to believe that NSW can do it again. NSW is currently working on forming a team to play against our arch rivals, Victoria, at the traditional Queen’s birthday weekend in Melbourne 2013.

Daryl Jordan, coordinator of the team, says there are more than 30 players who have expressed their interest in wearing the NSW jersey for the clash. 24 players will be selected for the Queen’s birthday’s game.

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Daryl is looking for more players and anyone who can assist the team such as trainers, water boys/girls and other roles within the squad.

Daryl and his team are currently working with other organisations to set up a training program for the squad and they are looking for a sponsor who could assist the squad by providing team uniforms and financial support.

Please contact Daryl: nswdeafafl@gmail.com for more informatios

Deaf Sports in NSWPlease contact the individual groups for their event program.

Sports/Recreation Groups Contact person Contact Details

Deaf Basketball Club Sokong Kim sokong@tpg.com.au

Deaf Cricket Club Andrew Park dcnsw@live.com

Deaf Darts Club Wendy Lancaster wez.lancaster@gmail.com

Deaf Football Australia Brian Seymour secretary@deaffootballaustralia.com.au

Deaf Lawn Bowls Peter Hannan pjenny1@optusnet.com.au

Deaf Poker Group Sokong Kim dpa@deafpoker.com.au

Deaf Rugby Simon Mahony southerncrossdeafrugby@hotmail.com

Deaf Table Tennis Trevor Boyle tboyle.mgirke@bigpond.com

Deaf Tennis John Lui jlui@deaftennisaustralia.org

Deaf Ten Pin Bowling Club Bruce Shaw shadan@netspace.net.au

Deaf Volleyball David Larkin David.Larkin@aecom.com

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The Deaf Society has a facebook page: www.facebook.com/deafsocietynsw Remember to like us and you will get updated on our latest news and events.

EVENTS

Deaf Community GroupsDeaf Seniors Groups

Sydney Deaf Seniors Group meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at Burwood RSL, Shaftesbury Rd, Burwood 9am - 2.30pm

5 September - Father’s Day Raffle 19 September - Bazaar 3 October - All Kinds Of Cards 17 October - Carpet Bowls 7 November - Bingo 14 November - Hoy Cents 5 December - Carpet Bowls and Cards 12 December - Christmas Party 21 December - Christmas Farewell

Contact: Alison Trott, Fax (02) 9642 1931, SMS: 0431 938 404

Gosford meets at Leagues Club, Dane Ave, Gosford.

Newcastle meets every Wednesday at Hamilton North Bowling Club, Boreas Rd, Hamilton, 10am - 2pm

South Coast for more info Contact: Lyndall Keppie, SMS: 0402 206 977; Annette Lapins, SMS: 0418 474 010 or Robyn Nock, SMS: 0416 244 279

Deaf Women’s Guild of Sydney The Guild meets on the 1st Saturday of each month at The Barn, 45 Belmore Street, Burwood at noon. Each month they have a different activity program.

Usher’s Group Meeting Friday 19 October 2012 Friday 7 December 2012

10am to 12pm Deaf Society, Level 4, 69 Phillip St, Parramatta Contact: Margaret Craig, mcraig@deafsociety.com, TTY: 02 8833 3691

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Sydney RegionThe Deaf Club, Sydney Parramatta RSL Club O’Connell Street, Parramatta Meets 1st Friday of each month

More information: www.thedeafclub.org.au

School Holiday Activity (young people aged 12-17) Contact: Amanda Faqirzada, afaqirzada@deafsociety.com

Liverpool City Library Liverpool City Library is offering FREE Internet lessons for deaf seniors at 170 George Street, Liverpool Contact: Carmel Martin, Access Services Librarian c.martin@liverpool.nsw.gov.au phone: 02 9821 9450, fax: 02 9821 9456

penrith Deaf Community Penrith Deaf Club meets 4th Friday of each month from 6pm to 12am Kingswood Sports Club, Santley Crescent, Kingswood Contact: Catherine Pirotta, deafclubpenrith@hotmail.com, SMS: 0403 552 917, Fax: 02 4736 6631

Northern NSW RegionLismore Games Day Every Wednesday in NSW school holidays 26 September, 3 October, 19 December - 10am to 12pm Deaf Society office, 22 Conway St, Lismore

Lismore Office Morning Tea Mondays: 24 September, 29 October and 26 November 10am to 12pm Deaf Society office, 22 Conway St, Lismore Contact: Melissa Mahony, mmahony@deafsociety.com, SMS: 0422 013 451

Deaf Chat Friday 14 September, 10am – 2pm at Australian Hotel, Cnr Cherry & River Street Ballina Friday 12 October, 10am – 2pm in Grafton Friday 23 November, 10am – 2pm Christmas Lunch at Summerland House in Alstonville or Windara Restaurant in Casino

Contact: Narelle SMS: 0414 978 606 or Sharon SMS: 0408 204 755

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Coffs Coast RegionCoffs Harbour Morning Tea Every Wednesday at 10am to 2pm Boambee Community Centre, Bruce King Drive, Boambee Contact: Terri Richardson, trichardson@deafsociety.com, SMS: 0401 230 911

port Macquarie Social Nights with People Builders Saturday nights once a month – at People Builders under the Panthers Club Port Macquarie Bay Street, Port Macquarie Contact: for more information, Ally Costanzo, Ph: 02 6583 2566, mail@peoplebuilders.org.au

Social Days 3rd Sunday of each month, 11am - 3pm. Various locations Contact: Bernadette Keane, SMS: 0439 604 637 or Terri Richardson, Mobile: 0401 230 911

New England RegionSocial Days - Tamworth 1st Saturday of each month Meet for dinner at 6.30pm in the Banjo’s Family Restaurant or for drinks at 7.00pm West Leagues Club, Phillip Street Tamworth Contact: Julia Griffiths, jgriffiths@deafsociety.com, SMS: 0406 672 500, tamworthdeafsocialnights@hotmail.com Facebook group: “Tamworth Deaf SocialNights”

Blue Mountains RegionBlue Mountains Social Nights

Meets 2nd Friday of each month (not January) 6.30pm start at the Bistro, or 7.30pm at the lounge.Springwood Sports Club, Macquarie Street, Springwood Contact: Anthony Hastings, hastingsag@hotmail.com, SMS: 0410 936 758

Central West RegionCentral West Deaf Club - Orange Once a month on Saturdays 8 Sept - Totally Café - 2pm Contact: Paul Nordheim, pnordheim@deafsociety.com, SMS: 0409745288

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Hunter and Central Coast RegionNewcastle Deaf Social Night Meets 4th Saturday of each month, 6pm at the Bistro for dinner or 7.30pm at the bar, Wests Leagues Club, Hobart Rd, Lambton

Tweed Heads/Gold Coast RegionTweed Deaf Social Night Meets 4th Friday of each month from 6pm 28 September & 26 October Twin Towns Services Club, 1st floor, Family and Friends Lounge, Wharf St, Tweed Heads. Contact: David London, deafclub@goldcoastinc.net, SMS: 0408 762 414

South Coast RegionTuesday Coffee Mornings Every Tuesday from 9am Michel’s Patisserie, Warilla Grove Shopping Centre, Shellharbour Rd, Warilla Contact: Sara Willyan-Payne, southcoast@deafsociety.com, SMS: 0406 940 899

Wing & Pears Coffee Shop 1st Friday of each month 10am - 12pm Wing & Pears Coffee Shop, Corner of Junction & Berry Streets, Nowra Contact: Lyndall Keppie, SMS: 0402 206 977, Fax: 02 4443 3140

Deaf Club (Illawarra/Wollongong) Saturday October 27 2012 The Illawarra Yacht Club, Northcliffe Drive, Warrawong Saturday February 2013 Wiseman Park, Wollongong City Bowling Club, Cnr of Gipps and Foley Street, Gwynneville Meet at 6pm

Sign Language 1 and 2 Classes run each term in the Illawarra area For more information on these classes, go to: http://deafsocietynsw.org.au/courses/community_auslan.html or Contact: Sara Willyan-Payne, southcoast@deafsociety.com, SMS: 0406 940 899

Auslan Practice GroupsBeacon Hill Expressions of Interest Contact: Sarah, SMS: 0418 481 484

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Glebe Every 2nd Saturday 10am - 12pm Broadway Shopping Centre Food Court Contact: via Facebook “Sydney Auslan Practice Groups”

Liverpool One of the oldest groups in Sydney - they have been meeting for over 16 years. Every Friday, 10am-12pm. Liverpool Library Contact: Coordinator: Carmel Martin, Ph: 9821 9450, c.martin@liverpool.nsw.gov.au

penrith 2nd and 4th Monday of each month from 6.30pm Peachtree Hotel, Peachtree Rd, Penrith. Contact: Meagan, SMS: 0410 691 381, mrudd@parra.catholic.edu.au or Erin, SMS: 0421 216 122, etaylor86@hotmail.com

Newcastle 1st Saturday of each month from 11am McDonald’s at Green Hills Contact: Anne Ward, SMS: 0427 123 013

3rd Saturday of each month from 10.30am Aroma’s Cafe at Glendale Shopping Centre Contact: Pam Wells, SMS: 0411 855 950

Coffs Harbour Every Wednesday 10am - 12pm Boambee Community Centre, Bruce King Drive, Boambee Contact: Coffs Coast Deaf Community, SMS: 0439 604 637

Lismore Expressions of Interest Contact: Lance Axman-Friend, lance.axman@gmail.com, Ph or SMS: 0401 225 801

Orange 1st Sunday of each month from 2pm Beekeeper Inn, 2319 Mitchell Highway, Vittoria Contact: Paul Nordheim, pnordheim@deafsociety.com, SMS: 0409 745 288

South Coast Every Tuesday - from 9am Michel’s Patisserie, Warilla Grove Shopping Centre, Shellharbour Rd, Warilla Contact: Sara Willyan-Payne, southcoast@deafsociety.com, SMS: 0406 940 899 19

Tamworth 3rd Saturday of each month 2.00pm - 4.00pm West Leagues Club, Phillip Street, Tamworth Contact: via Facebook “Tamworth Auslan Coffee Club” or tamworthauslancoffeeclub@hotmail.com

Auslan Interpreted ArtSydney - Art Gallery of NSW Last sunday of each month - 1.30 - 2.30pm

30 September - Highlights of the Australian collection 28 October - Focus on Sculpture 25 November - Francis Bacon in context

Meet at Information Desk, Art Gallery Rd, The Domain Contact: AGNSW, danielleg@ag.nsw.gov.au

Lismore Regional Gallery “Peggy Popart’s chARTered tours”. Tour is for children and their carers. 2nd Saturday of each month, 10.30 - 11.30am

8 September 13 October 10 November 8 December

Lismore Regional Gallery, 131 Molesworth St, Lismore Contact: artgallery@lismore.nsw.gov.au, Phone: 02 6622 2209

Captioned TheatreThe Flood - Glen Street Theatre, Belrose 12 September

Australia Day - Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre 12 & 17 October

The Wharf Revue - Glen Street Theatre, Belrose 17 October

Signs of Life - Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre 12 & 17 December

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Deaf Access at Churches in NSWC3 Ryde Deaf Pentecostal Church, 201 Cox’s Road, North Ryde 2113 Contact: Alex Nyam, 0405 266 761 (sms only) www.c3churchryde.com.au/what-we-do/c3-deaf.html 1st Sunday – Deaf service at 10.30am 2nd Sunday – Interpreted service at 10.30am 3rd Sunday – Bible study at 10.30am 4th Sunday – Interpreted service at 10.30am

Deaf Christian Fellowship, St Marys Presbyterian Community Church, 14 Marsden Street, St Mary. Contact: Matthew Thornley, 0439 368 483 (sms only) & Hans Smit, 0419 255 890 (voice)Auslan service every Sunday at 11.30am. Fellowship lunch after the service in the hall (bring a plate of food to share).

Ephpheta Centre (Catholic) Contact: Stephen Lawlor, ph: 9708 1396 fax: 9709 5638 tty: 9708 6904 www.ephpheta.org.au/index.shtml (please contact Ephpheta Centre for details in case of changes) www.ephpheta.org.au/calendar/201112.shtml 1st Sunday – Punchbowl 2nd Sunday alternates Gosford/Manly 3rd Sunday – Seven Hills 4th Saturday Vigil – Revesby

Inspire Church, ACC, Assemblies of God, Cnr Spire Crt and Hoxton Park Rd, Hoxton Park Contact: Pastor Stan Grimmett, 0439 640 656 (sms only) stanley.grimmett@inspirechurch.com.au http://inspirechurch.org/liverpool/purpose/our-association/ Sunday 10.30am – Deaf Service Sunday 6pm – Interpreted Service Tuesday 7.30pm – Bible study

North Rocks Anglican Church, North Rocks Public School Hall, cnr of North Rocks Rd & Barclay Rd, North Rocks. Contact: Darren Kirkegard, 0432 900 904 Darren.Kirkegard@gmail.com www.northrocksanglican.org.au/deaf_auslan 2nd & 4th Sunday, 6pm – Auslan preaching service Every other Sunday, 6pm – Interpreted service Tuesday 7.30pm – Deaf Bible study Hearing church members are learning Auslan

Riverlands Christian Church, ACC, Assemblies of God, Level 1/535 High St, Penrith 2750 Contact: Sean Sewell, 0415 205 877 (sms only) sewell_sean@hotmail.com www.rcc.org.au 9.30am Sunday – Interpreted service Other services interpreted by special appointment

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Plenty more information is available on the Deaf Society’s Facebook page. You are welcome to join if you wish to receive regular information about our events both in metro and regional areas. We have regular events planned for the next few months which all are revealed in the Events pages.

www.facebook.com/deafsocietynsw

Keep up to date with events - visit:www.deafsocietynsw.org.au/events/deaf_society_events.html www.deafsocietynsw.org.au/events/deaf_community_newsboard.html

Submission deadline: If you wish to submit any articles or information for publication, you are encouraged to email us at herald@deafsociety.com. The deadline for contributions to the June edition of the Herald is 1st November 2012.

Please remember that the editors of the Herald may need to change your article because of space or to make the style consistent with the rest of the Herald. No promotional, commercial or personal advertisements are accepted unless the editor believes they are of direct value to the Deaf Community.

Subscribe online:Do you want to receive NSW Deaf Herald and other information from the Deaf Society by email? Subscribe at www.deafsocietynsw.org.au/subscribe

Contact the Deaf Society of NSW:Phone: (02) 8833 3600 TTY: (02) 8833 3691 Fax: (02) 8833 3699 Email: info@deafsociety.com Web: www.deafsocietynsw.org.au

Email stories to herald@deafsociety.com Subscribe online at www.deafsocietynsw.org.au/subscribe

You can see this bulletin with photos at www.deafsocietynsw.org.au/herald/09-nsw_deaf_herald.pdf

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Deaf Society Walk In ServicesParramatta Mondays & Wednesdays – 9am to 12pm Fridays – 1pm to 4pm Level 4, 69 Phillip St, Parramatta Contact: Jenny Rozsa / jrozsa@deafsociety.com

Central Coast Thursdays – 10am to 2pm Niagara Park Community Centre, Washington Ave, Niagara Park Contact: Justine Lorenz / centralcoast@deafsociety.com / 0410 909 286

Newcastle Mondays & Tuesdays – 9am to 1pm 1/133 King Street, Newcastle Contact: Justine Lorenz / hunter@deafsociety.com / 0410 909 286

Coffs Harbour Wednesdays & Thursdays – 9am to 2pm Boambee Community Centre, Bruce King Drive, Boambee Contact: Terri Richardson / coffscoast@deafsociety.com / 0401 230 911

port Macquarie First Tuesday – 11am to 2pm (Feb, May, Aug & Nov) Port City Bowling Club, 4 Owen St, Port Macquarie Contact: Terri Richardson / coffscoast@deafsociety.com / 0401 230 911

Lismore Wednesdays & Thursdays – 9.30am to 1pm 22 Conway St, Lismore Contact: Melissa Mahony / northernnsw@deafsociety.com / 0422 013 451

Tweed Heads Third Thursday of each month – 10am to 12.30pm Food Mall, Tweed City Shopping Centre, Minjungbal Drive, South Tweed Heads Contact: Craig Bishop / northernnsw@deafsociety.com / SMS: 0423 488 619

Tamworth Mondays – 9am to 1pm (Mondays – 1.30pm to 4pm Appointment Only) Tamworth Community Centre, Darling St, Tamworth Contact: Julia Griffiths / newengland@deafsociety.com / 0406 672 500

Albion park Rail Mondays – 9am to 11am (after 11am, appointment only) Cnr Ash Ave & Tongarra Rd, Albion Park Rail Contact: Sara Willyan-Payne / southcoast@deafsociety.com / 0406 940 899

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Nowra First Tuesday – 10am to 2pm (March, June, Sept & Dec) Nowra Community Centre, 134 Kinghorne Rd, Nowra Contact: Sara Willyan-Payne / southcoast@deafsociety.com / 0406 940 899

Orange Third Friday of the month – 3pm to 5pm Orange City Bowling Club, 61 Warrendine St, Orange Contact: Paul Nordheim / pnordheim@deafsociety.com / 0409 745 288

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Emergency Contact Details:

Emergency Call 106The 106 emergency relay service enables people who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment to contact emergency services through their TTY (also known as a teletypewriter or textphone) or modem. It is a dedicated text-based emergency relay-service with direct access to fire, police and ambulance services. It is available 24 hours a day, everyday.

How it works:

• Dial 106. This is a toll-free number. You will be asked if you want police (type ppp), fire (type FFF) or ambulance (type AAA).

• The relay officer will stay on line to relay your conversation with the emergency service. Confirm your location.

• Do not hang up. Wait for a reply from the emergency service.

• This service is not available via speak and listen (speech to speech relay). These callers can dial 1800 555 727 and then ask for Triple Zero (000) or dial ‘000’ directly.

• This service cannot be accessed by text message (SMS) on a mobile phone or internet relay.

NRMA Roadside Assistance24 hours a day, country and metro areas - deaf / hard of hearing text to 0437 13 11 11.

How it works: TEXT NRMA on 0437 13 11 11

1. Just type your name (e.g. Mr John Smith)

2. Your car rego number (e.g. nsw abc123)

3. Where you are (e.g. 260 Victoria Rd, Ryde)

NRMA will text you back more info.

End of line.