Submission to Child Protection Inquiry

Abstract

The first section of this submission is on issues relevant to Indigenous people who are hard of hearing (HOH - those with a mild to moderate hearing loss). This section has been compiled by Damien Howard a hearing, non-Indigenous psychologist and educator. The second section of the submission addresses the issues of Indigenous Deaf people and HOH people and was written by Jody Saxton-Barney a Deaf Indigenous consultant.

Childhood ear disease means almost all Indigenous children experience fluctuating mild to moderate hearing loss during childhood. Studies have shown that up to 80% of Indigenous children in the Northern Territory experience hearing loss. The number of children who have a severe to profound level of hearing loss (deaf) are similar, although still higher, than in the non-Indigenous population – approximately 5% . However, the absence of many types of services to Deaf Indigenous people in the Northern Territory, as well as the multiple other types of disadvantage experienced by the Indigenous community as a whole, means that Deaf Indigenous Territorians commonly experience the most extreme disadvantage in their community, including exposure to childhood abuse.