Hillary Nguyen is a primary school teacher at Newmark Primary in Williamstown, a school on the waterfront in Melbourne’s inner west. Like more and more schools, Newmark chose Auslan as a second language to teach to their students.
Hillary explained why she approached Deafblind Victoria to train their staff:
“We have just started building an Auslan program at Newmark Primary, and wanted to do so in collaboration with the Deaf and Deafblind community. Heather and the team had recently visited our school to work with our Foundation and Year 1 children, and we wanted to offer the same experience to our teaching team. It was a profound experience that had a real impact. Everyone was deeply moved by the strength and courage of those in the Deaf and Deafblind community. We are now even more excited to learn Auslan at our school so that we can continue to make meaningful connections.”
The workshop ran on a Thursday evening, 24th July 2024. Thirteen teachers, including the principal, began the workshop with an immersive activity where they experience the world for a short time as a deafblind person. Later, they paired up and practiced guiding each other, even bravely venturing outside into the cold night!
Three presenters gave information and personal stories from their own childhood and adult life, and taught some basic Auslan. Deafblind presenters were Jasper Cleland and Heather Lawson, joined by deaf presenter Rachel Stock from Horton Stock studio. Rachel is an art therapist and Auslan teacher.
We hope that the teachers left the workshop with some useful insights that they can bring to the classroom, to help their students grow up in a more inclusive world. Thank you to interpreters and commguides for working with our team; doing this without you would be impossible! And a big thank-you Newmark Primary School for connecting with Deafblind Victoria.
* I learnt that we need to be more aware, considerate and mindful of people who communicate differently. I didn’t know there were so many different ways to communicate, and there’s a growing community of support.
* The level of trust necessary to function with a sense of independence when deafblind.
* it was very engaging, informative and empathy building.
* I loved the workshop. I’ve never experienced anything like it and wanted to thank you so much for sharing your stories with us. It was incredibly powerful.
This activity was supported by the Australian Government Department of Social Services. Go to www.dss.gov.au for more information.
