Recently, a group of Deafblind Victoria members and staff took part in Basic Life Support training and received a nationally-recognised certificate in first aid.
The trainer, Nick Holden from Livcor, was exceptional. Nick has a deaf family member and understands the frustration of being excluded. He was determined to make every part of the training accessible, with hands-on learning about choking, bleeding, anaphylaxis, defibrillators and more. We assessed danger using our senses of touch and smell. We got responses from patients by squeezing their hands.
When we approached other first-aid training providers, most couldn’t imagine Deafblind people doing first aid. Even support workers and community allies were sceptical; one told us “they won’t save anyone’s life.” Comments like this reveal the assumption that Deafblind people can only receive support, and never give it.
We know that’s not true! What if a commguide is injured while supporting us at home? What if a Deafblind person is alone with no way to call for help? This training gives our community practical tools and confidence to respond. Everyone deserves the chance to learn life-saving skills.
