DEAF Children Australia (DCA) is leading the charge towards providing deaf friendly resources and training in pre and primary schools across the country, particularly in rural and regional areas.

Parents of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children have raised concerns over a “lack of deaf awareness in schools” that could be impacting their children’s learning outcomes and development. 

The alarming feedback was revealed in a national survey conducted by DCA, where “inadequate learning support from teachers” and failure to meet learning outcomes in mainstream schools emerged as common concerns amongst the DHH community.

The lack of support at an educational level has flowed onto concerns around bullying (shared by 90 per cent of parents surveyed), missing out on making friends (84 per cent) and getting a good job (68 per cent).

DCA major projects head, Sarah Brennan said that a lack of education about hearing impairments can have detrimental consequences in a school environment.  

“Limited skills and confidence about deaf awareness and creating deaf friendly environments can leave both parties vulnerable to numerous challenges,” she said.

“Not only does it create a communication barrier in the immediate term, but it can significantly impact a child’s learning and development as they progress through school.” 

Karla Thomlinson, mother of an 11-year-old deaf child, said that more work was required to ensure that education opportunities are equal for all children over the nation.

“All students, regardless of their abilities, have the right to fully participate and be understood by their teachers, school staff and peers,” she said.

“When it comes to additional assistance in an educational setting, there can be limited options for families who live in regional and rural areas, so it’s important for schools to show awareness and be prepared and do more to include children who require extra attention.”

Ms Brennan said that DCA is working towards tackling these issues, to improve the livelihoods and have a positive impact on the futures of DHH children.

“With help from regional and rural primary schools, we can develop resources that will address their direct concerns and hopefully lead to a more inclusive, productive environment,” she said. 

In an attempt to bridge the gap and build inclusivity within regional and rural communities, DCA is calling upon its schools, families and locals to provide insight into the challenges they face when including, communicating and understanding deaf and hard of hearing children by participating in more in-depth, one-on-one interviews.

DCA’s quick survey available for completion will help build the resources’ content, which is set to provide resource support for primary schools and parents of DHH children.

Schools’ staff, community members or parents who wish to have their say, and are willing to join in the conversation can email media@deafchildren.org.au or learn more about DCA by visiting the website deafchildrenaustralia.org.au