Benno

‘I’ve got enough strategies when people don’t know how to sign. But that’s different when you’re in hospital. And it’s different at work.’

Benno, late 70s, is Deaf and uses Auslan.

He told the Royal Commission that his biological father ‘didn’t like the idea of having a Deaf son’ and left not long after Benno was born.

Following school, Benno worked in different government roles for almost 20 years. He loved the work and was promoted several times. Eventually he applied for a management role but HR told him if he wanted to be a manager he would need ‘to bring in interpreters’.

‘It would have been a lot better money, but it just wasn’t an option for me.’

Benno decided to move to a regional area hoping to find similar work. But the region wasn’t as accessible as the city.

‘I was in there looking around for different jobs … There were so many people who said, “Deaf people – no, you can’t – you can’t get that job. Deaf people can’t do that kind of job.”’

Eventually Benno found a job in construction.

He didn’t have access to interpreters and learnt on-the-job watching other workers.

It was almost impossible to understand anyone because they wore personal protective equipment (PPE), facemasks and gloves.

‘It wasn’t explained to me that it was essential for me [to wear PPE].’ No-one explained the dangers of the various chemicals or materials used to do the job.

‘I’d be looking up and dust would be getting into my eyes. I’d be breathing it in. I wouldn’t be wearing a mask. No gloves.’

Benno had to leave after about a year because ‘it was a really tiresome job’.

A short time later he had some health issues and took the company to court. After a few years he received compensation.

Around this time Benno was commuting to the city for work. There were more employment opportunities but it was expensive and hard on his relationship with his wife.

Benno successfully applied for the Disability Support Pension.

‘It’s good that I had that option. I’m not sure it gave me any satisfaction, but it was okay to do what we needed to do.’

Not long ago, Benno was feeling very unwell went to hospital.

He immediately showed staff a card requesting an Auslan interpreter.

‘I waited, and I pressed the call bell. Showed them the card again. They just never ever looked for an interpreter. I was there all night until the morning. I was so frustrated. I didn’t know what was going on. You know, people were just walking in, writing things down on bits of paper.’

Benno had to take pictures of the documents and send them to his daughter who explained what they were.

A short time later he returned to hospital and again was not given an interpreter.

He was transferred to a different hospital which was a little bit better. His children were able to support him and book the interpreters he needed.

‘There was not very much communication with the family while I was in hospital. The barriers that I’d found in health care were really just awful, terrible … Not being able to see my family. Not being well. But also, not having that access with the interpreter was hard.’