Deafblind awareness in the Auslan community
Deafblind Victoria want the Auslan community to know that the Deafblind community uses Auslan too! We sign using tactile Auslan, tracking Auslan and visual frame Auslan. Some of us learn Auslan when losing vision and hearing. We would love to meet people who have Auslan everywhere we go.
On Saturday 22nd April 2023 we at Deafblind Victoria were excited to run a Deafblind awareness workshop for the Auslan community once again after a few years of COVID and other obstacles.
3 deaf and 9 hearing participants attended. They were Auslan students, a mother and daughter, Auslan teachers, support workers, a consultant and artist, and a teacher for the deaf. They did immersive activities with cardboard goggles and blindfolds and learned about deafblindness, methods of communication, how to guide a deafblind person and more.
Thank you as always to deafblind presenters Jasper, Rodney, Joe. Heather Lawson was the facilitator. Heaps of thanks to the wonderful friendly interpreters who helped make the workshop a success.
– Heather Lawson, Training Officer
Feedback from the participants:
* Refresh my knowledge about Deafblind communication.
* It was great to hear from different Deafblind individuals and learn their stories.
* How to approach and use hand guide.
* Deafblind culture is incredibly complex. I want to continue to learn more. I learnt a lot about communication methods.
* I learnt the basics of how DeafBlind experience the world, and how to assist and communicate with DeafBlind people.
* I got a better understanding how to support the Deafblind community.
* Words to be spread out so deaf people know how to approach or correct communicate.
* Fabulous and brilliant presenters and interpreters.
Deafblind Victoria 
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