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
• 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
Visual Scale
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 (SaxtonBarney 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 community
Listen to the needs of our people
with hearing loss
•Access the right people
•Be honest
Thank You
Any Questions?...
Be Gentle...