Sherrie
We have been shocked this week by the latest news from NABS.
Changes made to NABS are:
- Interpreters will now be paid for a minimum of one hour, instead of 90 minutes.
- The pay rate for interpreters are now based on the NDIS rates.
- A number of medical and health services have been cut from NABS funding.
- Deaf people who register and become eligible for NDIS are now required to request for medical interpreting package to be included in their plan.
This is why NABS should be kept out of NDIS.
For my international readers, NABS is short for National Auslan Interpreter Booking Service. NABS is a government funded Auslan/English interpreter booking agency for private medical appointments. Prior to NABS, Deaf people experienced difficulties in securing an Auslan/English interpreter for their private medical appointments, as the majority of private medical clinics refused to book and pay for interpreters. The public health system receives funding for interpreters — I’ll save the explanation for another day 😉
Early last year, I had an appointment at the Melbourne University Dentist Hospital for an emergency root canal, and no interpreter was booked. The situation was due to the administrator claiming they were unable to book one with 48 hours notice. As you can imagine, I was not impressed. Since it was an emergency, I was willing to go without an interpreter.
Approximately 30 minutes after arriving at the dentist, the administrator came up to me…
Admin: The dentist refuses to see you without an Auslan interpreter.
Me: I asked for an interpreter to be booked when I called, yet I was given an excuse that one couldn’t be booked with 48 hours notice. It’s actually possible. Interpreters have been booked with 24 hours notice — they’ve even been booked in emergencies. It’s definitely doable. Why are you giving me this stupid excuse? It’s not acceptable on ANY levels.
Admin: We can book another appointment with an interpreter.
Me: No. I’m not waiting anymore. My tooth needs to be looked at right now. I’ve been in enough pain for the last few days, and my body is starting to reject painkillers. I need to see the dentist now.
Admin: Okay. I’ll go and see the dentist and see what they say.
I then proceeded to post my experience on Facebook. Luckily, a friend from Sydney who is a wonderful interpreter volunteered to call me on Skype and interpret for me.
Admin: Sorry, they still won’t see you.
Me: I have an interpreter in Sydney who is now on standby to interpret through Skype. Please don’t make me waste anymore time.
Admin: Oh, that’s excellent. I’ll let them know.
The dental appointment went well without any hiccups. I’m happy to report that my tooth is doing fine 😉 A huge THANK YOU to my friend who volunteered to interpret via Skype – I owe you one big time.
Now, I have optical appointments every two years, and I book an interpreter for these appointments through NABS. They even stay for the selection of new glasses, which makes my experience more enjoyable.
Also, I recently had to book an interpreter for a MRI & CT scan earlier this year through NABS. They were wonderful.
NABS is a lifesaver for Deaf people who require an Auslan interpreter for specialist medical/health appointments.
I was astounded to learn that NABS will not be cover interpreting costs for Deaf people who are over 65 years of age and/or are not eligible for NDIS requiring specialist medical/health appointments. This is due to the Government deciding to cut funding for NABS. This is an atrocious decision.
The specialist medical/health appointments that will not be covered by NABS are:
- Acupuncture
- Audiology
- Bowen Therapy
- Remedial Massage/Reiki
- Chiropractor
- Dental Technician (hygienist)
- Dietician
- Exercise Physiologist
- Iridology
- Naturopath
- Occupational Therapy
- Osteopathy
- Optometry Technician (fitting glasses)
- Pathology (blood tests)
- Physiotherapy
- Podiatry
- Speech Pathology
- Social Worker
- Group Sessions
- X-Rays
While I am slightly relieved that NABS will cover interpreting costs for GP, dental and other specialist appointments. I am pissed off that I won’t be able to get an interpreter if I was to have a physiotherapy appointment. If I decided to switch from Australian Hearing to a private audiology service, I wouldn’t be able to get an interpreter through NABS either.
I don’t know whether I’ll be eligible for NDIS until it’s rolled out in my area. It won’t be rolled out in my area until 1 October 2018 and nationally until 2019. So, this means I’ll have to wait TWO years like many other Deaf people who are in the same boat.
Gary has eloquently explained what is happening with NABS, NDIS and interpreters in his latest Rebuttal article – worth a read.
As I mentioned earlier about optical appointments, I’ve had interpreters stay for the fitting and selection of new glasses. Now, NABS will cover interpreting for eye tests but not fitting/selection of new glasses, which is disappointing. I don’t want to ask one of my best friends to give up their Saturday to help me to pick new glasses. I want to be able to converse with the optometry technician whilst selecting new frames and lenses.
We’ve seen and heard stories about the horrors of medical interpreting. There is a lot of work still to be done in this field so Deaf people are able to receive appropriate treatments with the assistance of Auslan/English interpreting. Needless to say, with changes to funding and services for NABS, we are faced with more work to advocate for accessibility and equity within the health and medical sector.
Additionally, Auslan/English interpreters who are registered with NABS are facing a huge pay cut which is a huge insult to the profession. Interpreters are the LOWEST paid profession in Australia. They struggle to make their ends meet. They don’t have a regular income — this is worse during the summer months as the majority of their interpreting jobs are in education.
I have HUGE respect for interpreters — especially the ones I work with. I don’t know how they put up with me 😉
They interpret for us because they love the Deaf community; they have a love for our language. They want to ensure Deaf people are able to interact with the wider community. They become bridges between Deaf and hearing communities. They are our lifelines.
With the cuts to funding and services offered at NABS, this is a huge blow on medical interpreting and the Deaf community. The Deaf community and Auslan/English interpreters are disappointed with the lack of consultation prior to changes being implemented.
We need to tell the Government that this is not acceptable. We have the power to make noise. Make your frustrations heard. Your stories are powerful – share them too.
Most importantly, make your vote count in tomorrow’s election. Tell the government that NABS should be kept out of NDIS.
Stay healthy, my friends.
S xo
UPDATED INFORMATION:
NABS will still provide interpreters for 65+. These are also the reduced services.
Also, will still provide limited interpreters for people who don’t have NDIS yet until the roll-out.
People who have NDIS need to ask for funding for medical appointments – which does not need to be booked through NABS any more.
Services still covered by NABS:
Anaesthetist
Infectious Diseases
Specialist Prosthetic / Dental Prosthetic
Bariatric
Medical Imaging, MRI, Ultrasound, CT
Psychiatrist
Bone Density
Myocardial Perfusion Scan
Psychologist
Breast Surgeon
Nephrologists / Kidney Specialist
Respiratory Specialist
Cardiologist
Neurologist
Rehabilitation Specialist
Cardiothoracic Surgeon
Obesity Specialist
Retinal
Dermatologist
Optometrist
Rheumatologist
Endocrinologist
Oncologist
Sexual Health Specialist
ENT
Opthamologist
Skin Specialist
Fertility/IVF Specialist
Oral and Maxiollo Facial Surgeon
Sleep Specialist
Gastroenterologist
Orthopaedic
Specialist Radiologist
General Surgeon
Orthoptist
Specialist Sonographer
Geriatrician
Paediatrician
Stress Echo Test
Gynaecologist
Pain Specialist
Thoracic
Haematologist
Periodontist
Urologist
Hand Surgeon Plastic,
Reconstructive Surgeon
Vascular Surgeon
Thanks to Jen Blyth from Deaf Victoria for providing updated information.
Editor's Pick
Today’s the third day of Lockdown 6.0 and I’m still processing how I feel about this. I haven’t written in a while, and I thought it was high time I got back into blogging and doing what I love, writing. There’s nothing more cathartic than writing.
Given we only exited Lockdown 5.0 just over a week ago, it feels as if we haven’t been given an opportunity to fully enjoy life post-lockdown before being ushered back into lockdown. How do we process our feelings and thoughts post-lockdown? We’ve barely had the time to process the last lockdown and its impact on us as individuals.
When the announcement came on Thursday morning stating that Victoria would be going back into lockdown as of 8PM, I felt numb. I didn’t have any words to describe how I felt at the time. I thought I was okay about it, but if I have to be brutally honest, I’m not okay about it. Like everyone else, I barely had two days to get used to life post-lockdown after Lockdown 5.0 was lifted. Did I get used to post-lockdown life this time around? Probably not.
Lockdown 6.0 is due to be lifted on Thursday night, but I’m not holding my breath. Delta, a variant of COVID-19, is a sneaky fucker. The transmission rate is higher compared to other COVID-19 variants. If the Victorian Government sees the need to extend this lockdown to get the pandemic under control, then so be it. NSW is seeing case numbers in the high 200s every day, and there’s no way Victoria wants to repeat what we went through last year.
The real question remains: how do I feel about this?
Defeated. It feels like this virus is determined to keep us at home, apart from our loved ones. I’ve been living on my own for 6 months and whilst I love it, I miss being around people. Fuck, I miss hugs. Human touch. Connection.
Speaking of connection, I miss being with my fellow Deaf people. I miss getting my Deaf fix. Catching up with friends on FaceTime or Zoom is wonderful, but it doesn’t replace the feeling of being able to sign with your Deaf peers in person.
Being able to see your language in its wondrous 3D form, like it’s supposed to be.
That feeling you get when you laugh merrily with your friends. Laughing so much until you cry.
Being present with your Deaf self whilst being with others.
I’ve seen many older Deaf people reminiscence on the golden days of Deaf Clubs, and how they wish for Deaf Clubs once again. Having been through five (soon to be six because this one isn’t done) lockdowns, I can empathise with them on the loss of Deaf Clubs. Opportunities for us to get our Deaf fix are now rare.
It’s funny how you don’t realise you miss something until it’s gone…and you realise you’ve taken it for granted.
I wanted to be able to celebrate my birthday(s) with my loved ones, but I hesitated on making plans because of the uncertainty. I do still want to be able to let my hair down and hit the town at some point, to celebrate me with my loved ones.
Goddamn it, I fucking miss being with people.
As a Deaf person and professional, I also miss face-to-face appointments with Auslan interpreters. For more than 18 months, like many Deaf people who use Auslan interpreters, I’ve utilised video remote interpreting for personal or professional appointments. Whilst VRI is fantastic and has grown so much the last two years ago, I miss being able to engage with my interpreters in person. The opportunity to debrief and/or chat with the interpreter(s) afterwards is rare as hen’s teeth nowadays. These 10 minutes you get to connect with your interpreters – oh how that feels rather sentimental.
Zoom closes. Interpreter moves onto their next job. I (or other Deaf person) move onto the next task or meeting.
I do love being able to stay in touch with family and friends through social media, text messaging and video calls. It does get tiring at times – so I need to keep reminding myself that other people are doing their best to stay in touch too.
It’s also hard to stay motivated during this time, too. I’ve had to put my platform – I Sign. I Wander., and Deaf Stories on hiatus – simply because I don’t have the motivation. I also have a few personal projects planned, but I haven’t been able to find the motivation to get started.
I’ve been trying to stay kind to myself, but when things become repetitive, it gets to the point where I say “fuck this, I’m just doing the bare minimum“.
I shower, I feed myself, I go to work (at home), and I make sure I am warm and healthy. I have things I can do around the house. I have books. I have Netflix.
Until this outbreak eases, there’s not much I can do but to keep doing what I’ve been doing and to remain connected with my loved ones in ways that works the best for us.
So, to say… I still don’t know how I feel. I’m getting there though. Maybe next time I write, I’ll have a better idea. But until then, I’ll continue processing this.
See you on the flipside,
S xx
Deaf Stories was originally established with a vision of deaf people sharing their experiences as business owners. With Janelle Whalan as my filming assistant, we interviewed four deaf people – Neil Wood, Bobbie Blackson, and Ivan Callaghan & Nicole Cooke about their businesses. The first round of Deaf Stories was funded by Deaf Services’ Life Enrichment Grant which helped us to cover expenses such as travel, software, equipment and other costs associated with Deaf Stories.
After filming, editing and releasing each interview, the engagement from the deaf community I envisioned wasn’t happening. Something was missing.
I saw there was a dire need for deaf people to share their stories on a public platform. With deaf clubs disappearing from our very own eyes, where were opportunities for deaf people to share their stories in a casual and relaxing environment?
One of my favourite memories from my childhood was when deaf children from various schools across Southeast Queensland would get together for a day to celebrate Deafness Awareness Week at New Farm Park in Brisbane. Every year I wound find myself sitting with my fellow deaf peers watching Julie Lyons tell stories through Auslan and visual vernacular. The feeling of being captivated and being taken into another world through a deaf person’s storytelling skills – that was something I carried with me for so many years. I still carry this feeling with me today.
Deaf people are notorious for being excellent storytellers. This is because storytelling is a fundamental part of the deaf community. Ledwith (2011) stated that stories act as social-cultural glue, which means they define societies, cultures, and communities. Like sign language, storytelling acts as glue to bring the deaf community together.
For the second round of Deaf Stories, I was planning on reframing it to include stories from various deaf people around the country. My original plans were thrown out of the window when Australia was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. With travel restrictions in place, this meant I was now unable to travel around the country collecting stories from deaf and hard of hearing Australians.
The first couple of weeks in lockdown, I watched numerous creators change their plans and projects. I also saw a number of friends in the arts make changes to their projects. Everything had to be moved online. That gave me the idea: why not make Deaf Stories an online platform for the deaf community watch interviews happen in real time? Give the deaf community a sense of belonging, similar to being at a deaf club. Hence the decision to reframe it as Deaf Stories LIVE.
The first Deaf Stories LIVE interview with Andrew Wiltshire was a huge success. I saw the engagement I had longed to achieve. I saw deaf, hard of hearing and hearing people respond to the interview.
Through the first interview, Andrew displayed his skills as a brilliant storyteller. According to Davis Haggerty (2007), being a skilled storyteller becomes an influential trait in the deaf community. Andrew is considered a role model to many deaf people.
Role models like Andrew are essential in the deaf community, particularly for young deaf people who are still figuring out their identities. Young deaf people should have access to role models within the deaf community, as Sutton-Spence (2010) believes it helps young deaf people to develop their personal, linguistic, and social identities.
Nović (2016) says deaf culture is founded on storytelling; it’s a culture obsessed with its own language. With the use of sign language such as Auslan, we work on the art of storytelling in various forms such as poetry, visual vernacular, sign singing, etc. It’s not something that is perfected overnight; it takes a lot of practice and consultation by our fellow deaf peers to ensure the stories are easy to understand through Deaf eyes.
Deaf people often learn best through storytelling. We are encouraged to participate through participation and understanding; belonging and confidence grows as we are listened to, valued and taken seriously (Ledwith, 2011). Without storytelling, how can change occur within the deaf community? How can we learn about the world around us? How can we connect with the deaf community using the Deaf experience?
“We tell our stories to transform ourselves; to learn about our history and tell our experiences to transcend them; to use our stories to make a difference in our world; to broaden our perspective to see further than normal; to act beyond a story that may have imprisoned or enslaved us; to live more of our spiritual and earthly potential.” ~ Rachel Freed (2011)
Storytelling empowers deaf and hard of hearing people to share their experiences; to start discussion; and to create change within the community and in the mainstream. Change doesn’t occur without sharing personal stories. Stories also encourages us to connect with and understand each other better.
I strongly believe in the power of storytelling and it’s why I chose to frame Deaf Stories around the notion of storytelling we have come to know and enjoy for many years within the deaf community.
In my next blog/vlog, I will be talking about vulnerability and why it’s an important element in storytelling.
Big love,
S x
References:
Davis Haggerty, L. (2007). Storytelling and leadership in the Deaf community. Rochester Institute of Technology, USA.
Freed, R. (2011). The Importance of Telling Our Stories.
Ledwith, M. (2011). Chapter Three: Doing Community Development in Community Development – A Critical Approach.
Nović, S. (2016). At Home in Deaf Culture: Storytelling in an Un-Writable Language.
Sutton-Spence, R. (2010). The Role of Sign Language Narratives in Developing Identity for Deaf Children. Journal of Folklore Research.
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Today’s the third day of Lockdown 6.0 and I’m still processing how I feel about this. I haven’t written in a while, and I thought it was high time I got back into blogging and doing what I love, writing. There’s nothing more cathartic than writing.
Given we only exited Lockdown 5.0 just over a week ago, it feels as if we haven’t been given an opportunity to fully enjoy life post-lockdown before being ushered back into lockdown. How do we process our feelings and thoughts post-lockdown? We’ve barely had the time to process the last lockdown and its impact on us as individuals.
When the announcement came on Thursday morning stating that Victoria would be going back into lockdown as of 8PM, I felt numb. I didn’t have any words to describe how I felt at the time. I thought I was okay about it, but if I have to be brutally honest, I’m not okay about it. Like everyone else, I barely had two days to get used to life post-lockdown after Lockdown 5.0 was lifted. Did I get used to post-lockdown life this time around? Probably not.
Lockdown 6.0 is due to be lifted on Thursday night, but I’m not holding my breath. Delta, a variant of COVID-19, is a sneaky fucker. The transmission rate is higher compared to other COVID-19 variants. If the Victorian Government sees the need to extend this lockdown to get the pandemic under control, then so be it. NSW is seeing case numbers in the high 200s every day, and there’s no way Victoria wants to repeat what we went through last year.
The real question remains: how do I feel about this?
Defeated. It feels like this virus is determined to keep us at home, apart from our loved ones. I’ve been living on my own for 6 months and whilst I love it, I miss being around people. Fuck, I miss hugs. Human touch. Connection.
Speaking of connection, I miss being with my fellow Deaf people. I miss getting my Deaf fix. Catching up with friends on FaceTime or Zoom is wonderful, but it doesn’t replace the feeling of being able to sign with your Deaf peers in person.
Being able to see your language in its wondrous 3D form, like it’s supposed to be.
That feeling you get when you laugh merrily with your friends. Laughing so much until you cry.
Being present with your Deaf self whilst being with others.
I’ve seen many older Deaf people reminiscence on the golden days of Deaf Clubs, and how they wish for Deaf Clubs once again. Having been through five (soon to be six because this one isn’t done) lockdowns, I can empathise with them on the loss of Deaf Clubs. Opportunities for us to get our Deaf fix are now rare.
It’s funny how you don’t realise you miss something until it’s gone…and you realise you’ve taken it for granted.
I wanted to be able to celebrate my birthday(s) with my loved ones, but I hesitated on making plans because of the uncertainty. I do still want to be able to let my hair down and hit the town at some point, to celebrate me with my loved ones.
Goddamn it, I fucking miss being with people.
As a Deaf person and professional, I also miss face-to-face appointments with Auslan interpreters. For more than 18 months, like many Deaf people who use Auslan interpreters, I’ve utilised video remote interpreting for personal or professional appointments. Whilst VRI is fantastic and has grown so much the last two years ago, I miss being able to engage with my interpreters in person. The opportunity to debrief and/or chat with the interpreter(s) afterwards is rare as hen’s teeth nowadays. These 10 minutes you get to connect with your interpreters – oh how that feels rather sentimental.
Zoom closes. Interpreter moves onto their next job. I (or other Deaf person) move onto the next task or meeting.
I do love being able to stay in touch with family and friends through social media, text messaging and video calls. It does get tiring at times – so I need to keep reminding myself that other people are doing their best to stay in touch too.
It’s also hard to stay motivated during this time, too. I’ve had to put my platform – I Sign. I Wander., and Deaf Stories on hiatus – simply because I don’t have the motivation. I also have a few personal projects planned, but I haven’t been able to find the motivation to get started.
I’ve been trying to stay kind to myself, but when things become repetitive, it gets to the point where I say “fuck this, I’m just doing the bare minimum“.
I shower, I feed myself, I go to work (at home), and I make sure I am warm and healthy. I have things I can do around the house. I have books. I have Netflix.
Until this outbreak eases, there’s not much I can do but to keep doing what I’ve been doing and to remain connected with my loved ones in ways that works the best for us.
So, to say… I still don’t know how I feel. I’m getting there though. Maybe next time I write, I’ll have a better idea. But until then, I’ll continue processing this.
See you on the flipside,
S xx
Deaf Stories was originally established with a vision of deaf people sharing their experiences as business owners. With Janelle Whalan as my filming assistant, we interviewed four deaf people – Neil Wood, Bobbie Blackson, and Ivan Callaghan & Nicole Cooke about their businesses. The first round of Deaf Stories was funded by Deaf Services’ Life Enrichment Grant which helped us to cover expenses such as travel, software, equipment and other costs associated with Deaf Stories.
After filming, editing and releasing each interview, the engagement from the deaf community I envisioned wasn’t happening. Something was missing.
I saw there was a dire need for deaf people to share their stories on a public platform. With deaf clubs disappearing from our very own eyes, where were opportunities for deaf people to share their stories in a casual and relaxing environment?
One of my favourite memories from my childhood was when deaf children from various schools across Southeast Queensland would get together for a day to celebrate Deafness Awareness Week at New Farm Park in Brisbane. Every year I wound find myself sitting with my fellow deaf peers watching Julie Lyons tell stories through Auslan and visual vernacular. The feeling of being captivated and being taken into another world through a deaf person’s storytelling skills – that was something I carried with me for so many years. I still carry this feeling with me today.
Deaf people are notorious for being excellent storytellers. This is because storytelling is a fundamental part of the deaf community. Ledwith (2011) stated that stories act as social-cultural glue, which means they define societies, cultures, and communities. Like sign language, storytelling acts as glue to bring the deaf community together.
For the second round of Deaf Stories, I was planning on reframing it to include stories from various deaf people around the country. My original plans were thrown out of the window when Australia was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. With travel restrictions in place, this meant I was now unable to travel around the country collecting stories from deaf and hard of hearing Australians.
The first couple of weeks in lockdown, I watched numerous creators change their plans and projects. I also saw a number of friends in the arts make changes to their projects. Everything had to be moved online. That gave me the idea: why not make Deaf Stories an online platform for the deaf community watch interviews happen in real time? Give the deaf community a sense of belonging, similar to being at a deaf club. Hence the decision to reframe it as Deaf Stories LIVE.
The first Deaf Stories LIVE interview with Andrew Wiltshire was a huge success. I saw the engagement I had longed to achieve. I saw deaf, hard of hearing and hearing people respond to the interview.
Through the first interview, Andrew displayed his skills as a brilliant storyteller. According to Davis Haggerty (2007), being a skilled storyteller becomes an influential trait in the deaf community. Andrew is considered a role model to many deaf people.
Role models like Andrew are essential in the deaf community, particularly for young deaf people who are still figuring out their identities. Young deaf people should have access to role models within the deaf community, as Sutton-Spence (2010) believes it helps young deaf people to develop their personal, linguistic, and social identities.
Nović (2016) says deaf culture is founded on storytelling; it’s a culture obsessed with its own language. With the use of sign language such as Auslan, we work on the art of storytelling in various forms such as poetry, visual vernacular, sign singing, etc. It’s not something that is perfected overnight; it takes a lot of practice and consultation by our fellow deaf peers to ensure the stories are easy to understand through Deaf eyes.
Deaf people often learn best through storytelling. We are encouraged to participate through participation and understanding; belonging and confidence grows as we are listened to, valued and taken seriously (Ledwith, 2011). Without storytelling, how can change occur within the deaf community? How can we learn about the world around us? How can we connect with the deaf community using the Deaf experience?
“We tell our stories to transform ourselves; to learn about our history and tell our experiences to transcend them; to use our stories to make a difference in our world; to broaden our perspective to see further than normal; to act beyond a story that may have imprisoned or enslaved us; to live more of our spiritual and earthly potential.” ~ Rachel Freed (2011)
Storytelling empowers deaf and hard of hearing people to share their experiences; to start discussion; and to create change within the community and in the mainstream. Change doesn’t occur without sharing personal stories. Stories also encourages us to connect with and understand each other better.
I strongly believe in the power of storytelling and it’s why I chose to frame Deaf Stories around the notion of storytelling we have come to know and enjoy for many years within the deaf community.
In my next blog/vlog, I will be talking about vulnerability and why it’s an important element in storytelling.
Big love,
S x
References:
Davis Haggerty, L. (2007). Storytelling and leadership in the Deaf community. Rochester Institute of Technology, USA.
Freed, R. (2011). The Importance of Telling Our Stories.
Ledwith, M. (2011). Chapter Three: Doing Community Development in Community Development – A Critical Approach.
Nović, S. (2016). At Home in Deaf Culture: Storytelling in an Un-Writable Language.
Sutton-Spence, R. (2010). The Role of Sign Language Narratives in Developing Identity for Deaf Children. Journal of Folklore Research.
Mwah! Eloquently written. And you’ve covered this issue so well and expressed what many of us are trying to put in words.
We will continue the good fight. We will continue making waves. We’re all stunned at this development but need to keep speaking out until interpreters for these services are restored.
Nice one Sherrie. Interpreters are united on this issue. We are fighting hard against these bullying tactics. Many of us have had confirmed future bookings cancelled today because we have had the temerity to disagree with the new conditions being imposed on us. We will not give up. We will do whatever we can to fight for Deaf people to have the right to access the same services they could before today and to have the right to pick their interpreter of choice.
How is this ‘a better system’ for either Deaf or interpreters? Perhaps the system will be better for the more prevalent disabilities, but for specialist needs such as interpreting, Deaf people will be far worse off, and further from the UN Charter of Rights…
When I was told of the new payrates for interpreters from the 1st July onwards, a prebooked job was now paying 2/3 the original remuneration that was being offered when I accepted the job. When I was asked if I wanted to hand the job back, I refused, as I wanted to honour my commitment to my client. Then the job was cancelled, and I wondered why… I cant afford to do distance jobs at the new rate, and I may not be able to afford to remain an interpreter, a job I have enjoyed doing for 16 years now.
Thanks Sherrie for your writings, especially this backward-step measure of NABS changes implemented by Canberra due to a ministerial decision to roll NABS into NDIS.
As others have pointed, the government provides and funds the national “Translating and Interpreting Service” or TIS National for foreign language speakers. For both the Australian community and visitors from aboard – using telephones & onsite interpreters without any real barriers. Users simply provide their name, time & date of requested language interpreting service, expected duration, client or site’s phone number), just like we do with NABS in the last few years.
Hearing users are NOT told to register their full details, nor requested to plan ahead for one year to obtain funds for their TIS usage. Once the new Australian government is formed (after the weekend’s federal election), we need to protest our voices and hands at Canberra, demanding that NABS should be de-merged from NDIS.
If we do not get Canberra to reverse this, we the Auslan users (deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing and others) will be adversely impacted by having to explain “in advance, aka the need to include this into individualised NDIS plans”. And with various service providers saying “You need to tell me your NDIS plan number, then we can together book an Auslan interpreter or video interpreting session”.
Let me give you an example: what if deaf people face emergencies (e.g. a burning house, bushfires, storms, floods), how can they be expected to remember their NDIS plan numbers and other important details, just to access medical interpreting at new sites – e.g. counselling services at evacuation centres or community halls fully accessible to everyone else but not deafies? They may have lost everything, including their mobile phones with stored details.
I just have one query:- which minister at Canberra made this decision?