Doug
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‘I would like to see equal access to services for all deaf Australians, regardless of their ability to use a telephone.’
Doug is deaf and uses Auslan. He told the Royal Commission he ‘struggles every day’ to communicate with government departments and large organisations because he no longer uses the telephone for voice calls.
Most departments and organisations use the National Relay Service (NRS) to communicate with deaf people.
The NRS requires people to register to use the service. Doug says this is ‘inequitable’ because no hearing person has to register with a third party before placing a call. All calls are then relayed through a relay officer who stays on the line. Doug believes this ‘actively disempowers’ people who cannot speak or hear on the phone.
Additionally, many organisations aren’t familiar with the NRS and will not take the call or will hang up. Even those familiar with the service, such as banks and utilities, require the deaf person to speak to be acknowledged. Doug describes this practice as ‘audist’ and says it’s ‘particularly true’ of the NDIS and other service providers who have day-to-day contact with deaf people.
Doug uses SMS, instant messaging and email for most of his personal and professional communication. Occasionally he uses an Auslan interpreter or live captioning in meetings or at community events such as at his children’s school.
Doug said SMS, instant messaging and email should be the standard way to communicate with any department or organisation.
He has his own business and these options are available to his clients at all times. ‘It is not difficult and requires little training.’ He said secure online transactions can be integrated into existing systems and processes.
‘We should work to make our departments, systems and procedures as accessible as possible and empower the very people we are trying to help.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.