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Federal Funding to provide National Deafblind Information Hub

Senses Australia, the national not-for-profit organisation who provides individualised support with people with disabilities, has been announced as a grant recipient from the federal government.  The funding was in the form of an Information Linkages and Capacity (ILC) National Readiness Grant, in the Activity Area: Information, Linkages and Referrals.

With the $475,000 funding received, Senses Australia will establish and implement a National Deafblind Information Hub over the next two years that will be available online.  Other grant recipients can be found at this link : https://www.ndis.gov.au/medias/documents/ilc-nr-rnd2/National-Readiness-Round-2.pdf.

Dyke (2013) estimated that 99,800 Australians have combined vision and hearing loss, equating to 0.4% of the Australian population.

The grant will provide this population, their families and other support networks with access to up-to-date and relevant information, as well as links to services and supports in the community.  This includes the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), community and government services.

This assistance will incorporate a program of real time and recorded webinars, face-to-face capacity-building opportunities, access to advice, information and support from a skilled deafblind consultant.

CEO of Senses Australia Lisa Brennan said that ‘Deafblindness poses significant barriers to accessing information. This Hub will ensure deafblind people have access to timely, accurate and accessible information.  Auslan interpreters will be used as required, to access advice about how to advocate for accessible services, and strategies for independent living. They will also be able to access deafblindness specific information, services and supports that will best meet their individual needs.

Our team at Senses Australia has a long and proud history of providing high quality services to people who are deafblind. We are looking forward to continuing this support via the National Deafblind Information Hub to ensure positive outcomes for this unique and diverse population.  As a not-for-profit organisation, grants like this make a huge difference to the services that we can offer, as does donations from businesses or the general public.’

Lisa further noted that being online meant that their expert staff would be accessible throughout Australia, and the use of Auslan interpreters will be readily available.

The National Deafblind Information Hub can be accessed via www.deafblindinformation.org.au.  Clients and their support networks are asked to register their details through this website or email to keep up to date and receive alerts when new information is published.

Website contact:  www.deafblindinformation.org.au/contact-feedback/feedback/

Email: deafblind.consultant@senses.org.au