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Open Right

Asphyxia: Deafness: All You Need to Know!

Session Info:

Have you ever felt awkward in the presence of a Deaf person or someone with a disability? Not sure what to say? Want to show respect and offer help but at the same time not make a big deal about it or cause offense? This presentation will clarify everything.

Despite the fact that 1 in 6 Australians experience some form of hearing loss, most people don’t know how to respond appropriately to deafness. Asphyxia, a Deaf activist, writer and artist, will tell engaging and entertaining stories from her own life, providing insights into Deaf experience, and in the process she’ll show you how to:

Topics include:

  • Avoid common mistakes made by hearing people
  • Identify respectful behaviour versus patronising behaviour, so that you can adapt how you respond to deaf people if need
  • Be the centre of a ripple of change through small respectful acts
  • Change a group culture from exclusive to inclusive
  • Ask the right (easy!) questions to help raise awareness and reduce oppression

While Asphyxia’s presentation focuses on specific insights relating to Deafness, the principles she teaches are easily applied to all situations involving people with a disability, or where discrimination, exclusion or oppression exists.

This presentation is for:

  • School classes, in order to raise our next generation as compassionate, respectful, inclusive people
  • Workplaces and school groups where there is a person who is deaf, has a disability, or being marginalised, in order to help people understand what they can do to remedy the situation
  • Workplaces where there is a lack of diversity and a desire to change this
  • Professional development for teachers and community workers to help them understand how to create an inclusive and respectful culture

 

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