Welcome to the Deafness Council of NSW
The Deafness Council of New South Wales is a non-profit, volunteer organisation with charitable status. As a peak body, we function as a voice for our members, assisting deaf and hearing impaired adults and children, and those with other disorders of the ear. We support many member organisations throughout NSW that provide assistance and support through multidisciplinary approaches, including rehabilitation, education and counselling.
We also offer support and advice for advocacy that gives deaf and hearing impaired people a voice. The Deafness Council and its members are concerned with encouraging understanding of hearing loss, and of ensuring hearing impaired and deaf people experience equality and social inclusion.
Mentoring program for deaf adolescents
29 July 2008 - Hear For You (HFY) is a mentoring program, established in 2007, for deaf adolescents. The founder of Hear For You is 28-year-old Olivia Gemmell who has hearing impairment. Her own real-life experience gives her the ability to understand the issues associated with deafness. It adds an extra dimension that makes Hear For You accessible to deaf adolescents. More >>
28 July 2008 - Would you like to join us at this year's Hearing Awareness Week in Sydney? Highlights of the night include a presentation by Mr. Alex Varley, CEO of Media Access Australia, and a screening of the film 'WHITE SOUND', a short documentary directed by Sarah Tracton, a Deaf Film maker. More >>
Hearing Loss Statistics
28 July 2008 - There are 3.5 million people in Australia with a hearing loss - this works out to be about 16.67% of the population. Hearing loss in Australia is prevelant. Felicity Bleckly takes a look at some Australian research, which reveals some surprising figures. More >>
The stigma of hearing aids
28 July 2008 - Why is there a stigma attached to wearing hearing aids. If you wear glasses there is no stigma. You put them on and say “Wow now I can see!” but hearing aids can’t be that effective and in many cases you still hear poorly even with the aid. More>>
Deafness impact of iPod or MP3 players
27 July 2008 - Sensorineural loss is the most common type of hearing loss. It is age related and caused by excessive noise – often called industrial deafness. However, many younger people are presenting with hearing loss because they are listening to music devices such as iPod or MP3 players for prolonged periods. More >>
The Evolution of Auslan
27 July 2008 - A discussion on the influence of education, schools families and Communities in the evolution of Auslan. More >>