The Australian DeafBlind Council was set up following the National Deafblind Conference in Melbourne in 1993 as a network for deafblind people or other interested people.

The purpose of ADBC is to be a national council representing people who are deafblind, their support networks and organisations working in the field.

Membership is open to individuals who are deafblind, their families and other support people and organisations serving people who are deafblind and other interested people. ADBC is financed by subscriptions from members and government subsidy (if possible).

The ADBC Executive Committee is composed of the following members: three deafblind members, one family/support person member and three organisational or professional members. The president must be a person who is deafblind..

Its objectives are:

• to encourage self-organisation and self-determination by people who are deafblind
• to serve as a national assembly for meetings, communication and interchange
• to provide a forum for collective expression and discussion
• to work for improvement throughout Australia in education, health, welfare, rehabilitation, employment and recreation for deafblind people
• to cooperate with kindred organisations such as the NFBCA and the Deafness Forum
• to disseminate information
• to solicit support from government at various levels for people with deafblindness.

Its current goals are:

• to work with the World Blind Union to develop a deafblind symbol for use on a white cane or dog harness;
• to develop a plan to promote the use and meaning of this deafblind symbol to the deafblind community and the wider community;
• to seek support for the adoption of the term deafblind when referring to people with a dual vision and hearing sensory loss and that it work towards its broader acceptance nationally;
• to request federal, state and territory governments to provide funding for the DeafBlind Awareness Week;
• to seek funding to enable Beacon to be published four times a year in appropriate formats;
• to request funds from the government and non-government sectors to assist in the establishment of appropriate facilities and suitable training for guide interpreters for deafblind people;
• to work in cooperation with the NFBCA and Deafness Forum so that the needs of people who are deafblind are heard and addressed in a cooperative and coordinated manner;
• to organise the National DeafBlind Conferences.

Committee Members

Leah Hobson; Sharon Barrey Grassick (Western Australia) | Emma Gordon (South Australia) | Celestine Hare (Vic) | Peter Minter; Mike Steer; Sven Topp (NSW) | Gail Staggs(Qld) | Cloan Makgill (New Zealand)

Administration

John Finch (Vic) (03) 9439 2570

Publications

Beacon : Published from two to four times a year for members of the Australian DeafBlind Council . It is available separately for a subscription of $A20 a year.
Rainbow News : Published by the Deaf-Blind Association of NSW .

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Last updated 15 February 1999. Comments to Bob Segrave.