Associated Organisations
Other WA organisations that support the Deaf Community
Better Hearing Australia (WA)
Better Hearing Australia WA (BHAWA) is a non-government organisation which aims to improve the lives of adults with hearing loss, as well as their families, friends and employers throughout the State. BHAWA assist people with almost every kind of hearing loss and provide Aural Rehabilitation, Lip Reading and Auslan Conversation classes. BHAWA support West Australian Deaf Arts and provide social interaction opportunities for every West Australian with a hearing loss.
Deafness Forum of Australia
Deafness Forum of Australia is the peak, national not for profit organisation that represents the one in six Australians who have a hearing impairment, a chronic disorder of the ear, are Deaf or deafblind, and the families who support them. Deafness Forum’s objective is to provide timely and realistic advice to government on strategic public policy development and practice reform.
Ear Science Institute Australia
Ear Science Institute Australia is an independent not-for-profit organisation, dedicated to improving the lives of people with ear and hearing disorders. We achieve this vision by supporting people with ear and hearing disorders through our four pillars of clinical services, research, education and treatment. We provide internationally recognised clinical services to over 40 000 Western Australians through our Lions Hearing Clinics and Ear Science Clinic, which is the largest cochlear implant centre in Western Australia. All of our clinical services incorporate the latest scientific discoveries from our Ear Science Research Team and we share our research findings through our Ear Science education program, which trains every medical student in Western Australia.
Earbus Foundation
Earbus Foundation of WA is a multi-award winning, Perth-based children's charity working to reduce the incidence and impact of middle ear disease in Aboriginal and at-risk children in our state. Since its establishment in April 2013, Earbus has worked in partnership with Aboriginal Medical Services to reduce the incidence of middle ear disease in Aboriginal children below the World Health Organisation benchmark of 4%. Earbus is an ethical, low fixed-operating cost organisation that focuses on getting programs and services to children who need them, not on infrastructure. A team of doctors, ENT specialists, audiologists and nurses supports over 70 outreach visits to regional and remote communities across WA each year. Earbus Foundation also runs the Newborn Hearing Screening Program in private maternity hospitals across WA, provides audiology services to regional WA in partnership with WACHS and offers diagnostic hearing assessment for children at its Hear Today Clinic in Perth.
Cicada
Cicada is a support group that meet on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at Citiplace Community Centre, Wellington Street, Perth. Cicada give support for their members and their families who have had hearing implants of various types. Cicada also provide social outings, auditory and listening exercises, and rehabilitation and communication training, and provide up to date information to help the individual to be better informed of various updates on hearing implements that could help them to communicate in the hearing community and with their families. Cicada do not have a website but can be contacted through Deafness Council WA.
Hearing Australia
For over 70 years, Hearing Australia has been helping Australians rediscover the joy of sound. Its mission? To keep you connected to the people and life you love. With its dedicated team, Hearing Australia is the nation’s largest provider of government-funded hearing services for children, young adults up to 26, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, pensioners and veterans. And with over 600 locations across the country, they will work with you to deliver on their promise to offer world-leading hearing solutions anyone can access – to make a difference to you, your family as well as the communities Hearing Australia serves.
WA Foundation for Deaf Children
The WA Foundation for Deaf Children (WAFDC) aims to make a difference to the lives of deaf children and their families, from cradle to career by providing credible information, practical knowledge and training; connecting people and encouraging friendships; supporting the development of life skills and career prospects for children and advocating for the deaf sector. WAFDC strive to be the change agent and central support hub that gives every deaf child and family the knowledge, networks and confidence they need for a happy childhood along with the life skills and resilience they can carry through to the next stage of their lives.
West Australian Deaf Arts
West Australian Deaf Arts (WADA) was founded in 2010 and is auspiced by Better Hearing Australia WA (BHAWA). WADA shares an understanding of Deaf culture with the Hearing world and is open to people with no Arts background or experience, and those that have experience in the Arts and would like to share and grow their passion and be a part of an exciting initiative. WADA offers an opportunity for people with differing and multiple disabilities, to explore their creativity and imagination in a supportive environment.
Telethon Speech & Hearing
TSH is an iconic and trusted Western Australian organisation. In partnership with families, we empower children to hear, communicate, connect, and learn, leading to stronger communities. We are a registered charity, not-for-profit organisation, independent school, and NDIS provider. For nearly 60 years we have supported children and their families with hearing loss and/or speech and language difficulties.
Our unique, integrated model provides diagnostic, therapy, and support services all in one location. This whole of life approach ensures every child receives the highest level of care in helping them to hear, speak, learn, and play.
TSH also offers essential early intervention and school support services. These programs assist children in realising their full potential.
Deaf Connect
Deaf Connect is Australia’s largest whole-of-life service provider and social impact organisation for the Deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind communities. We deliver a range of services in states across Australia, including Support Coordination, Aged Care, Auslan Education, NDIS Plan Management, Support Work and Family Services, with Auslan interpreting services delivered nationally. Our brand has the combined knowledge, strength and vision of several state-based Deaf organisations united under one banner, where our recent merger with Access Plus WA allows us to strengthen supports and resources for the WA Deaf Community while acknowledging shared history and vision. We support Deaf Australians and their families in making informed choices and actions to thrive in life, while championing equity and removing barriers for the Deaf community.AATDWA
The Australian Association of Teachers of the Deaf – Western Australia (AATDWA) has been a professional organisation for Teachers of the Deaf in this state since 1935. Members of AATDWA seek to enhance their role as they work and support children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. The Association regularly organises professional learning programs and participate in conferences with their Australian and New Zealand colleagues.
AUDIOLOGY AUSTRALIA
The largest professional body for audiologists in Australia. Audiology Australia provides professional development, sets ethical standards of practice and provides advocacy for professionals and consumers of the hearing healthcare industry. Audiology Australia provides registration through the NASRHP for Accredited Audiologists” and is a founding member of the Hearing Health Sector Alliance. They also support the Ethics Review Committee in conjunction with the Australian College of Audiology which acts as an independent complaints review board to help enforce the highest standard of clinical care and ethical practice.
Cochlear
Cochlear is the global leader in implantable hearing solutions with products including cochlear implants, bone conduction implants and acoustic implants. Cochlear commenced operations in 1981 as part of the Nucleus group and in 1995 listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). Today, Cochlear is a Top 50 ASX-listed company with annual global revenues exceeding AUD$1.4 billion.
Cochlear aims to support cochlear implantation becoming the standard of care for people with severe to profound hearing loss. Cochlear also provides bone conduction implants for people with conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss and single sided deafness. Cochlear has provided more than 600,000 implantable devices, helping people of all ages to hear. Whether these hearing solutions were implanted today or many years ago, Cochlear strives to continuously develop new technologies and innovations for all recipients. Cochlear invests more than AUD$180 million each year in research and development and currently participates in over 100 collaborative research programs worldwide.
Cochlear’s global headquarters are on the campus of Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia with regional headquarters in Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Cochlear has a significant international footprint, selling in over 180 countries, and a global workforce of more than 4,000 employees.
Cochlear strives to help people “Hear now. And always” – aiming to provide them with a lifetime of hearing through the best possible support.
SSEN: S
The School of Special Educational Needs: Sensory (SSEN: S) provides educational support for children with hearing loss and or/vision impairment. This support is available from diagnosis through all years of schooling. We strive to meet individual needs by providing educational support for children and also supporting schools to provide fully accessible learning environments, curriculum and school communities.
As our service is government funded, it is provided at no cost to the school, parents or guardians of eligible students with hearing loss and/or vision impairment.
Our specialist teachers are committed to supporting children in both public and non-government schools throughout Western Australia. Joining our teachers, are other specialist staff such as educational audiologists, school psychologists, braille transcribers, captioning officers, deaf education officers and educational interpreters.
At the School of Special Educational Needs: Sensory, it is our mission to ensure every child with hearing loss is supported to meet their full potential.
Expression Australia
Expression Australia is a leading organisation with 140 years of service to and for the Deaf and Hard of hearing community. We provide access and inclusion at all levels of government, health care, aged care, education, private business, sport and recreation, with tailored services for all government agencies and industry sectors.
Expression Australia is the driving force to ensure all Deaf and Hard of hearing Australians can access the services they value and need to live their best lives.