Hello everyone
Firstly I would like to say thank you for inviting me to be here to speak at this event of Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission on behalf of Deafblind Victorians. We, DBV are privileged to be recognised as a significant group on this International Day for People with Disabilities.
Before I start to share about Deafblind Victorians I would like to tell you a little more about myself. I am deafblind due to a condition called Ushers Syndrome. I was born Deaf and gradually lost my sight over the course of my adult life. I have been using tactile sign for more than 25 years and rely heavily on communication support to receive information by touch. This method of feeling sign language on my hands is the only way I have to know what people are saying. I cannot hear and cannot see, touch communication is very important in my life. I am one of thousands of deafblind people around the world who use tactile sign and there are many other deafblind people who use different communication methods. I am also a Braille reader.
I would now like to provide you with some background information about Deafblind Victorians. We are a self advocacy group for people who are deafblind – we try to be the Voice of the Victorian deafblind community and Australia as there is no other similar group anywhere. Our aim is to advocate for human rights and to improve awareness on deafblind issues particularly in regards to government, disability services, NDIS, technology providers and the wider community to ensure we are seen and heard and to reduce the isolation experienced by many with this condition.
I would like to take a moment to talk about accessible technology. Smart phones and tablets are improving their accessibility all the time, but they are not yet fully accessible. Just recently I was on a flight from Sydney to Melbourne and wanted to use my iPhone to go through my emails and notes. Turning the iPhone to ‘flight mode’ disengaged my Braille device! I was stuck and could not use my device like others can on the flight. This is just one example of the gaps we experience in accessibility. There is still a long way to go.
Accessible devices and websites allow deafblind people full independent access to information and communication. Websites, SMS, email and social media are allowing deafblind people to connect with each other and the wider community more than ever before.
The bad news is that many apps are very tricky for Braille users. They keep updating forcing me and other deafblind people to re-learn how to use it which slows down my skills in using the apps. Many websites are not very accessible for Braille display users due to graphic, tables and PDF format and so on. Braille Devices are very expensive and we have to pay more for this but others buy cheaper technology. This is just one example of the disparity that exists between deafblind consumers of technology and their counterparts in the hearing world.
International Day of People with a Disability is an important opportunity to share with the community, government and service providers the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ and remind everyone that the goal is equal access for all – for me, equal access to communication technology will give me a sense of independence and confidence and I can truly participate in everything.
Thank you.