Dermott
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‘Being out in the community is really, I think, key to developing a really strong relationship. Not only the people you’re dealing with day to day, but also the community knows that you exist and you have something to contribute.’
Dermott is in his 60s and deafblind.
‘I’ve always had hearing impairment since I was born and vision [impairment] probably since about 10 onwards,’ Dermott told the Royal Commission. ‘It accelerated to the extent that I did have difficulty at university with my studies in terms of vision, which makes it much harder to read material. But I got through that okay.’
Dermott said he was lucky to have been active in the community as his sight and hearing failed and ‘people became aware over time’ of his disability.
‘[The reason] I’ve had a reasonably fortunate life is the fact that I was in the community and therefore was able to develop relationships.’
For example, one of Dermott’s colleagues at university helped him get a good job.
‘I got a good reference from him [and] a person who looked at my application went, “Oh yeah. Maybe we could find a place for this guy.”’
Dermott worked for about 15 years, until he couldn’t anymore.
Dermott now uses a guide dog, but struggles to maintain community contact because of discrimination and poor support.
For example, taxis sometimes refuse to pick him up.
‘Some of them will just not even stop. They will just see you and drive on past.’
He also struggles to find interpreters who are fluent in the ‘whole range of different ways’ deafblind people communicate. In his regional city there are only one or two interpreters who can do that.
‘If I’m requiring an interpreter that’s competent … I may need to book that interpreter a month ahead to be sure that they will be available, because if you leave it until the day before they’re not available.’
Dermott said many support workers also don’t know how to help deafblind people.
‘They don’t understand, for example, that it’s their role to support you, not to actually take the initiative … I’ve even heard stories of people deciding, “Oh well no, we won’t go there, we’ll go to such and such a place because it’s easy to park there.” … So sometimes initiative is taken away.’
Dermott tries to help other deafblind people maintain contact with their community.
‘[Deafblind] people who have been institutionalised … learn that there’s no point trying to get any interaction back, and over time they actually lose their skills and abilities … Once you lose your confidence you’re vulnerable and you’ll just be pushed around.’
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.