What our mob want you to know about Indigenous Hearing Health

Presenter: Jody Saxton-Barney Deaf Indigenous Community Consultancy

Acknowledgements

• I wish to acknowledge the traditional owners on the land we meet today the Cadigal people. I wish to pay respect to the Elders past, present and future.

• I also like to acknowledge my Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brother’s and sisters who are here today and pay my respect to them for their work in hearing loss amongst our communities.

What we know!

• Indigenous children have up to 80% more likelihood of Otitis Media and ear infections than non-Indigenous children before the age of 3 years.( Coates 2009)

• 73 % of them before the age of 12months (Coates 2009)

• 64% of Mothers of babies and children are likely to have hearing loss or history or ear disease (Saxton-Barney 2009)

What we know!

• Prenatal – 3 years are 3 times more likely to have ear or hearing loss problems than non-Indigenous children ( Coates 2009)

• 0-14 age group are rated 3 times more higher than non-Indigenous children but 5 times more higher to be DEAF (AHRC 2009)

• Many aged 0 to 20 have 32 weeks of infection than the 2 weeks that non-indigenous have with the same infections (AHRC 2009) ( see next slide for visual representation)

See how infections can affect our young people

Infections : Age 0 to 20 years Visual Scale

• Indigenous children have 20 weeks without infections

• Non-Indigenous children have 50 weeks without infections

• Indigenous Children 32 weeks with infections

• Non-Indigenous children have 2 weeks with infections

And what we know!

• 62% are assumed to have Cognitive Impairments in justice systems as hearing assessments are not provided (Saxton-Barney 2009)

• 90% of inmates in NT justice systems have hearing loss (Howard 2009)

• 58 % of inmates in Victorian Prison systems have a hearing loss (AHRC 2009)

• 40% of remote Indigenous people have Chronic form of Otitis Media (CSOM)( Coates 2009)

Language • cultural language for many

Indigenous deaf people is not heard, understood or acquired

• English is seen as a 2nd or even up to a 5th language to some of the community members

• Auslan is provided to a few but not many (Saxton-Barney 2009)

• 17 existing cultural signing styles are in use (Saxton-Barney 2009)

What’s happening

Success stories• Closing the Gap• Employment programs• Screening processes • Swimming pools• Ear Health Programs• Educational tools

Barriers to success• Not asked for input• Child care, skills audit• Easy format or language

supports• No identified Deaf or HOH

Indigenous person to support program

• Tools to learn community languages

How we can make the change

•Training that is culturally appropriate•Communicate effectively with deaf children and family members•Have deaf role models to show success is achievable•Have fun in delivering programs to all members to the communityListen to the needs of our people with hearing loss•Access the right people•Be honest

Thank You

Any Questions?...

Be Gentle...