As part of Deafblind Awareness Week celebrations held across the month of June, Deafblind Victoria joined a group of leading service, research and community organisations on the steps of Parliament House on Spring Street. They braved the cold Melbourne morning to raise awareness among Victorian politicians and across the wider public about deafblindness, what this multi-faceted disability means for people living with it and how their lives can be changed for the better through specialist early interventions and the ongoing delivery of appropriate services.
Knitting is a way of connecting both yarn and people. This year Deafblind International nominated “Connect to act” as its callout for deafblind advocacy networks around the world to rally together to make real and lasting change in deafblind people’s lives. And the way these connections were made on the day was to invite a group of Victorian MPs to join in the yarn bombing event. So it was scarves, beanies and more scarves on everybody!
Deafblind Victoria project worker Rodney Baskett is on the committee for Deafblind Awareness Week, and was among the DBV representatives who turned out in scarves and beanies, lovingly knitted and gifted by members and friends of the Deafblind community. Rodney met with fellow community advocates from CHARGE Syndrome Australasia, Able Australia, UsherKids Australia and Vision Australia. They reached out to politicians to let them know how action now means better outcomes for deafblind people, and ultimately for the whole community.
