Projects

DBV projects are all deafblind-led and employ majority deafblind staff. Project activities have emerged directly from needs and wishes identified by the Deafblind community in Victoria.

Current funded projects

1. Hand in Hand (Jan 2026 – Dec 2027)

A Deafblind-led capacity-building project delivered through an integrated Community Hub. It combines five streams:

  1. Community events for deafblind people
  2. Awareness Raising for the wider community
  3. DBV Connect (weekly drop-in space with advice, referrals, tech exploration and support)
  4. Skill Sharing (training from lived experience, including tactile communication, technology and arts)
  5. Service Innovation (“co-navigation”, a support service that combines interpreting, guiding and capacity-building)

Funded by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.

2. Deafblind Wellbeing Program (Jan 2026 – Dec 2026)

Three Healthy Eating workshops (including simple food preparation), and three Mindful Movement sessions (walking in nature and chair yoga). The workshops are designed and led by deafblind people.

3. Peer Support Network (July 2024 – June 2027)

This project maintains, strengthens, and extends the peer support network of the Deafblind community through:

  • digital resources
  • peer navigators
  • life skills activities

The Deafblind community in Victoria provides individuals with meaningful relationships, and the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate life as a deafblind person. However, many deafblind individuals are not yet connected to our community: young people with genetic conditions that will lead to deafblindness, blind people shut off from support and friendships through acquired hearing loss, and those who are geographically isolated in rural Victoria.

In this project, outreach is undertaken to connect deafblind people and their families to a peer support network. Peer navigators are matched with participants according to type of deafblindness and communication abilities. Skills and knowledge are shared (communication methods, assistive technologies, self-advocacy). Peer navigators point to resources and programs that cater to our specific needs, helping navigate the complex web of disability, health, and community services.

A monthly face-to-face Deafblind life-skills event is held at Ross House. Digital resources are developed and shared, including “Deafblind Tips” posts with handy ideas for everyday living, “Tech Talk” consumer reviews of new technologies.

Funded by the Department of Social Services.

4. Deafblind Community Hub (July 2024 – June 2026)

The Deafblind Community Hub facilitates access to mainstream activities for deafblind Victorians, by supporting individuals to:

  • explore recreational, arts and cultural activities, out in the community and online
  • try new communication technologies and connect to digital services
  • share skills with others to foster community participation and contribution
  • raise awareness about deafblindness, changing attitudes and improving practices,

and supporting mainstream community organisations to:

  • improve engagement with deafblind people
  • access resources and advice on deafblindness – enhance accessibility and service delivery.

In a survey of DBV members, the biggest barriers found were communication, lack of services, loneliness, and mobility (physical access to the wider community). In general, neither deaf services nor blind services cater well to deafblind individuals; deaf access is visual, while blind access is auditory. These approaches fail to serve people whose primary sense is touch. Deafblindness constitutes a distinct disability for which there are significant gaps in services, and exclusion from both the Deaf and the blind communities.

The Hub facilitates access to community activities through three events per month (Deafblind Café, Craft Group, and Recreation Program) and a weekly drop-in program containing new & emerging tactile technologies for social & community connection, information and entertainment.

Funded by the Department of Social Services.

5. How to Claim Your Human Rights (July 2024 – June 2027)

In this project led by B-Hart, DBV is one of six partner groups, each developing resources and training in their own community around human rights. DBV is running a 12-month program for Peer Leaders to build skills and knowledge about rights and self-advocacy, and develop a resource that Deafblind people can use when dealing with service providers and advocating for our rights in everyday life.

Funded by the Department of Social Services.

6. Touching lives: A history of the Deafblind community in Victoria (July 2024 – June 2027)

This project collects and preserves stories and memories of historical significance, presenting them on the DBV website. The website will contain:

  • Video interviews with key individuals, presented in Auslan and English with transcripts
  • A timeline with milestones and significant events
  • Images of old technology such as a Perkins brailler or TTY (telephone typewriter) with an explanatory paragraph for each object
  • Archival material (newsletters, newspaper articles, TV reports, personal photos and videos).

Funded by the Public Records Office of Victoria.

7. QAT (July 2025 to June 2026)

Following from a successful pilot project in 2023/24, QAT returns in 2025 to bring together trans and gender-diverse people of all abilities. Queer and gender-diverse people meet in an informal setting to make social connections and practice tactile Auslan and deafblind communication. Events are organised and facilitated by deafblind trans people.

Funded by Transgender Victoria.

Previous funded projects and grants

  • Deafblind Connect (2021 to 2024, DSS) – download final report
  • Deafblind Community: Growing Together (2020 to 2024, DSS) – download final report
  • QAT pilot project (2023, Transgender Victoria peer support grant) – download final report
  • Deafblind Retreat (2023, Lendlease Community Grant and Guide Dogs Victoria peer support grant)
  • Mental Health workshop (2022, Ben Souter Mental Health trust) – download final report
  • Yarn Bombing craft group (2020-2021, Tye Recreation Fund)
  • Deafblind Community: Living Without Barriers (2018-2019, NDIA) – download final report
  • How to Communicate with Me (2017, City of Melbourne)
  • Information Kits – (2011, 2012 and 2013-2015, DHS Department of Human Services, Disability Self-help grants)