Unheard Voices – Tactile Interpreters for performance rehearsals
The Deafblind Association NSW Inc (DBANSW) was formed in 1989 in Sydney due to limited social services available to adults with deafblindness. It has developed into an organisation that provides support to people with deafblindness to advocate for systemic change to ensure their inclusion in their communities. DBANSW undertakes community education, volunteer training as well as providing social support.

The aim of Unheard Voices is to create a performance that raises awareness of deafblindness. To achieve this the grant will pay for Tactile Interpreters to accompany the deafblind performers during rehearsals, over a five month period for a total of 24 hours.

Objectives

• to develop performance skills of eight people with deafblindness
• to build inclusion of people with deafblindness in the arts
• to develop a training resource for creative producers working with people with disability
• to create a community education product that can be marketed.

Expected Outcomes
This project will benefit people with deafblindness across NSW now and into the future by raising awareness of the disability. It also benefits everyone who learns from it and therefore the DBANSW sees the potential for this performance to be taken into schools, colleges and universities..

Thinking laterally, this performance could form the cornerstone of a social enterprise of people with deafblindness that focuses on community education, thereby creating employment for a group of people who are disadvantaged in the labour market.

DBANSW applied for a grant of $2000 to cover:

24  hours  of  Tactile  Interpreter  support  provided  to three  performers  with  deafblindness over a  5  month  period.

The UCF Board was pleased to approve this small grant application from Deafblind Association NSW.