Issues
Articles about Issues commonly faced by Deafblind people in Victoria in essential services – housing, transport, education, physical and mental health, telecommunications, emergency services and the law – and helpful suggestions for how these issues might be managed.
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Jasper on diHARD Radio: Lived Experience, Access, and Community
Last year, Jasper was interviewed on diHARD: Diversity and Inclusion – The Hard Topics, a show on community radio station JOY 94.9. Jasper shared his lived experience as a deafblind queer trans man and raising awareness about what deafblindness really means in everyday life. In the interview, Jasper spoke honestly about common misconceptions. “Being treated…
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Rec day at Frankston’s Accessible Beach
It’s a beautiful summer’s day and you feel like going to the beach to relax or swim, but finding a beach with good access can be difficult, especially for people who use wheelchairs or mobility aids. Now Frankston Beach, with its new Accessible Beach Pilot Program, is the place to go. At our recent recreation…
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DBV Cafe Mental Health discussion
October is Mental Health Month, a perfect time to think about ways to care for our minds and bodies. At Deafblind Café on 22 Oct 2025, we explored how movement and activity support mental health, while celebrating the strength and connection of the Deafblind community. Participants shared how different kinds of movement help them feel…
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Getting around Melbourne: the new Metro Tunnel!
The Deafblind community has been anxious to know: what will the new Metro Tunnel mean for us when it opens? We want Melbourne to be safe and accessible. At DBV Café on 24 September, we talked with Em Coy from EnAccess Maps and Alan Nargessi and Tim Fullerton from Metro Tunnel to find out more…
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Victoria’s first raising of the Disability Pride Flag
Hello! This is Jasper Cleland. We are at the end of July, which was Disability Pride Month. On Tuesday July 8th, I went to St Albans Community Centre for the first raising of a disability pride flag to ever happen in Victoria! The event was organised by our neighbours here in Ross House, DRC (Disability…
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First aid
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…
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Tree of Kindness
In support of mental health month, DBV members gathered together on the 9th of October to create leaves for the Schizy Inc ‘Tree of Kindness’ at Ross House. Each person brought their unique perspective to their paper cut-out leaves with art and messages about things for good mental health that are important to them. The…
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Deafblind Café September 2024 – Communication independence
As deafblind people, we are often in situations where we need to communicate with others, but we don’t have an interpreter or commguide with us: hospitals, restaurants, airports, taxis, train stations and more. We might want to ask for directions or for help. How do we communicate? At Deafblind Café on 18/9/2024, members shared their…
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Technology expo at DBV
On 20th Sep 2023, DBV held a technology expo for the Deafblind community. Businesses set up stalls to showcase a variety of technologies that deafblind people can use: braille displays, proximity sensors, tactile games and gadgets, haptic devices for appreciating music through vibration, alarms, magnifiers and more. A representative from the government My Health Record…
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Transport accessibility follow up
In Australia, public transport must be accessible. There are Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002, which sit under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA). The Transport Standards must be reviewed every five years. Last July at Deafblind Café, the federal government consulted with DBV members about how Deafblind people access to trains, buses, taxis and…
