The RIDBC
uarterly
Emma is making significant progress Student wins award for achievement RIDBC community fair a success
Spring 2015
From the Chief Executive A look at Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC) this quarter. Many exciting things are taking shape at RIDBC. Our new facility in Canberra is getting ready to open its doors in October. This large centre is located in the suburb of Deakin, part of Canberra’s technology and health precinct. We are excited to provide both vision and hearing services to people in the ACT and southern NSW, inclusive of the excellent ENT surgeons that work as part of SCIC Cochlear Implant Program. RIDBC welcomes the NSW State Government’s early roll out of the NDIS in the Penrith and Blue Mountains regions. The NDIS is proving to be transformational for people with a disability. RIDBC already has a significant presence in the region with sites at both Glenmore Park
and Penrith, and we are committed to ensuring our quality services are accessible to people in this growing area of Sydney. In June we held our annual RIDBC Book & Community Fair. The event was sponsored by Hyundai, with Charlie Kim, CEO of Hyundai Australia, opening the fair. Thank you to all those partners and supporters who made the event such a huge success! Hearing Awareness Week is happening in August and RIDBC will be participating in an open day at the Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University. Visit us on the day to learn about hearing loss and the services available. To find out more, go to ridbc.org.au I would also like to
acknowledge Dr Hyam J Emder, who recently passed away. Dr Emder was an RIDBC Life Member and honorary consulting physician to RIDBC for over 50 years. I am constantly amazed by the achievements of our students. I was delighted that Year 12 graduates, Holly and Julian, joined us to present at our AGM in May about their outstanding academic accomplishments. I hope you enjoy reading about Julian's story here. Our ability to grow our services to support students like Holly and Julian is thanks to the generosity of our community. Thank you for your continued support of our work.
Chris Rehn RIDBC Chief Executive
Charlie Kim, CEO of Hyundai Australia, joined students and RIDBC Chief Executive, Chris Rehn, for the opening of the RIDBC Book & Community Fair
(l-r) Charmain with Emma and one of her RIDBC Teleschool Consultants, Neryl, who has supported Emma to learn to listen and speak with her bone conduction hearing aids
Emma is making significant progress When Emma was diagnosed with hearing loss at birth, parents Charmain and Allan reached out to RIDBC from their home in regional NSW. Now nine years old, Emma is doing well with support from RIDBC Teleschool. When Emma was born she failed her newborn hearing screening. “It was a really hard time for us, we didn’t know if our little girl was deaf,” said Emma’s mother, Charmain. It was confirmed that Emma had hearing loss and that she would need hearing aids. “When we found out about the services provided by RIDBC we decided to visit them in Sydney,” said Charmain. “That was a turning point – we went from feeling really alone and isolated to feeling like we had some direction and support.” Emma accesses RIDBC Teleschool, which supports families in regional areas of Australia using high-
quality videoconferencing technology. “We started receiving weekly RIDBC Teleschool sessions and they were amazing,” said Charmain. “We learned how to interact with Emma during play, about the toys that would best support her, and how to monitor her hearing. “RIDBC played a critical role in testing and asking questions so that we could get to the bottom of Emma’s hearing difficulties. Emma has CHARGE syndrome which means she has complex hearing loss and additional needs. She just wasn’t accessing sound as she should.” It was suggested that Emma trial bone conduction hearing aids.
“They were amazing, providing a whole new way of hearing for Emma,” said Charmain. Emma is now in grade three at a mainstream school.
“I can’t emphasise enough the impact RIDBC has had on Emma’s development,” said Charmain. “At RIDBC we’re supported by a full range of professionals, including teachers of the deaf, audiologists, speech pathologists, orthoptists, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists. “RIDBC is committed to making sure Emma has the best access to sound possible. “Now, every day is an achievement. She is happy, and that’s the ultimate.”
Exceptional student wins award RIDBC School Support Student, Julian, has been awarded a medal of excellence by RIDBC for his academic achievement in the Higher School Certificate (HSC). Julian, who has vision loss, received an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 99.85. He attended St Luke’s Grammar and received support from RIDBC School Support Service, which places specialist RIDBC support teachers into schools to provide students with vision or hearing loss with in-class assistance and strategies for accessing the curriculum. “I was diagnosed with Cone Dystrophy at birth,” said Julian. “It impacts my range of vision, peripheral vision and colour vision. “I would say that my vision impairment has made me a quieter person and it takes longer than usual to get my bearings in new places. It meant I had to give up playing soccer and cricket after primary school, so I transitioned into other extracurricular activities like debating and toastmasters.” Julian was supported by RIDBC to ensure he had full access to the curriculum.
“Throughout high school I received assistance from RIDBC,” said Julian. “I’ve always benefitted from their support. In high school the interactive white boards were linked to a monitor which sat in front of my desk so that I could see more clearly. This meant that I could read slideshows, watch videos and see what the teachers were writing on the board if they were using a calibrated smart board pen.
RIDBC student, Julian, is now studying a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering at university “I approached the HSC in a very objective manner. I think that it was because of this mindset that I was never really stressed. I remember chatting away with friends about video games while waiting for an exam to start!”
“At this stage I would like to work with robotics and artificial intelligence after I graduate. I think robots are cool and that they have a lot of potential to improve the world.”
Julian is now studying a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW).
RIDBC also recognised a second award winner for their outstanding achievement in the HSC. Holly, who has hearing loss, received an ATAR of 91.8 and is now studying a Bachelor of Arts/ Bachelor of Laws with a major in criminology.
“I have to sit in the front couple of rows in my lectures and sometimes I don’t see my friends when they wave at me,” said Julian.
Students from RIDBC Garfield Barwick School enjoyed an afternoon of rides donated by Hyundai Help for Kids
RIDBC Book & Community Fair The 2015 RIDBC Book & Community Fair was bigger and better than ever, with more rides, stalls and entertainment. This year’s fair raised an incredible $50,000 for RIDBC. Held in May, RIDBC Book & Community Fair was proudly supported by RIDBC Abstract Committee, Hyundai Help for Kids, Westfield North Rocks and St George Bank.
“This year’s RIDBC Book and Community Fair was a massive success, with thousands of people joining us to help raise thousands of dollars in support of RIDBC,” said RIDBC Events Executive, Kaye Bailey. “We’re indebted to the local community for this support. “A big thank you must go to our corporate partners who ensured the event was such as success. Hyundai Help for Kids supported our kids with an exclusive afternoon of fun on the rides, and the Veloster Boot Shoot. Westfield North Rocks
provided a fun kids activity corner, and St George joined us with their coffee cart and mascot! “A huge thank you goes out to all those from the community who joined our staff and students to have fun over this three day event. The BBQ didn’t stop all day Friday and Saturday – it needed to be restocked five times!” As always, this important annual fundraiser provided three days where the public could pick up some fantastic deals, with a large assortment of books, toys, DVDs, CDs, records and collectibles available. “Particular mention must go to our five Book Fair Committee volunteers, whose outstanding efforts
sorting items for sale over the previous 12 months made the event such a success,” said Kaye. Saturday 30 May was the fair’s biggest day, filled with lots of fun activities for all the family including; rides, musical performances, food and market stalls, a BBQ, raffles, and a kids activity corner proudly supported by Westfield North Rocks that included face painting, balloon bending, and much more. The $50,000 raised through this year’s fair will help RIDBC support the children and adults with vision or hearing loss accessing RIDBC’s broad range of therapy, education and cochlear implant services.
(l-r) Ros’ daughter, Megan; Ros; and RIDBC Audiologist, Rachel Attard, meet to map Ros’ cochlear implant for sound
Ros regains her hearing At the end of 2014 Ros began to notice that something was wrong with her hearing. Then, at the age of fifty, her hearing disappeared completely. In the beginning, Ros didn’t pay much notice to her hearing loss. “I didn’t notice it too much as my left ear was still fine and whenever I used my iPod I used that ear,” said Ros. “As a customer service officer I worked on the phone but using two ear phones meant I could still hear. “Then I lost all hearing in my right ear and, soon after, my left ear lost all hearing too. I had to stop work.” Tests failed to find a reason for Ros’ hearing loss. “I was referred to Ear Nose and Throat Surgeon, Dr Cathy Birman,” said Ros. “Cathy was wonderful and said I was in a good position to get my hearing back with a cochlear implant.”
Ros booked in with SCIC Cochlear Implant Program.
whether I would get my hearing back,” said Ros.
“My SCIC Cochlear Implant Program Audiologist, Rachel Attard, was so helpful. As I couldn’t hear, Rachel typed up everything for me. She gave me a complete explanation of what the implant was and what I could expect.
“Rachel was very positive and helped me feel better about the whole thing. She also organised for me to meet another cochlear implant recipient, so I could see what it looked like and talk to someone else about their experience.”
“All through this I had a lot of ups and downs. I wasn’t confident driving anymore, and social occasions were really hard. My daughter had her engagement party and people had to write things down - in a party setting that’s difficult. I spent most of the night just sitting around.” Leading up to the surgery, Ros was nervous. “I was not so much worried about the surgery itself but
Ros is now looking forward to the future with her implant. “I am over the moon with my implant,” said Ros. “I can now speak one on one with people and I’m really looking forward to my daughter’s wedding in September and getting back to work!” For more information about cochlear implants or SCIC Cochlear Implant Program, visit ridbc.org.au/scic
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Cruise the crystal waters of the Whitsundays to iconic Whitehaven Beach, and enjoy a stunning sightseeing tour of the island followed by a delicious three course lunch.
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12 September, $895 per person. Visit ridbc.org.au/charityflight
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Qantas Pathfinders Revue The Qantas Pathfinders Revue ‘40 and Fabulous’ is proudly celebrating forty years of raising funds for RIDBC. Tuesday 10 - Saturday 14 November, North Sydney Leagues Club at 7:30 pm. Tickets $50 A reserve / $40 B reserve on sale early October at ridbc.org.au/revue
Looking to support RIDBC but not sure how to get started? There are lots of ways to get involved! You can run in event like the City2Surf or host a raffle, film night, sausage sizzle, garage sale, or fete. For support with your community fundraising, contact RIDBC Community Relationships Coordinator, on 02 9872 0324
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