Advocating for change
As CEO of Telethon Speech & Hearing, I am extremely proud of the work our team does in supporting families and children to achieve their own goals. As a school, it was what we were set up to do by our founders. But, as a charity, I often reflect that our work is not done unless we help make the systems our families have to navigate better.
Too often, when I speak with families, I hear stories about difficulties with other parts of the health, education, or disability sectors. I constantly hear of the waitlists our families sit on with government-based services and now, unfortunately, that is extending to private services for specialists such as paediatricians. It is for these reasons Telethon Speech & Hearing forms important part of nation-wide or state-wide groups such as First Voice, the Deafness Council of WA, the Hearing Health Sector Alliance, the National Association for Australian Teachers of the Deaf, and more. It is also the reason why you will read opinion pieces we write for the West Australian newspaper and on the social media platforms we use.
Telethon Speech & Hearing CEO Mark Fitzpatrick
Put simply, we want to make the system better for you, your families and the families that come after you.
Much of our advocacy happens behind closed doors, so it is not often public, yet it can have a significant impact. Some key changes that our advocacy has shaped include:
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With thanks to the Deafness Council, televisions in Perth were the first to receive captions through Channel 7 Perth
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WA was the first State or Territory to start universal newborn hearing screening - as a result of the work the Deafness Council did
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First Voice was instrumental in ensuring that universal newborn hearing became a program across the country, now capturing 98% of newborn children
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First Voice was also the key organisation in ensuring children with hearing loss get fast-tracked access to the NDIS, with a pathway via Hearing Australia
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The Hearing Health Sector Alliance is currently providing advice to government about how more Australians can get access to the hearing and ear health services they need
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The National Association for Australian Teachers of the Deaf continues to advocate to ensure we have the best possible standard of education for children with hearing loss.
We have been part of these all of discussions at every step of the way.
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Sometimes, our advocacy is a little more public. The articles we have had published in places like The West Australian newspaper are as a direct result of the experiences of our families and our staff. Recently, you may have seen us raising issues about waitlists for children in the health system, or how we can improve outcomes in the early years of a child’s education. We do that to reflect the experiences of families we support.
None of our advocacy takes away from the focus of our team on providing the best possible services and support for families and communities across Western Australia. We believe that we are in a very privileged position where we are trusted by families to provide services to your children. This is a responsibility we take very seriously.
Your experiences are so important for us to understand. Not only do they provide us with better insight into how we can help you, but they also help us make a better community for all.
Important Reminder: Update Your Details
The information that parents/guardians provide at enrolment is important in helping us to look after your child, and should be kept up to date. If not current, your family may miss important information from TSH.
Please Contact Us immediately if your family details have changed.
It is essential that you inform us in writing of any change to student details. In particular, we need to know:
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change of address
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change of telephone numbers (particularly mobile phone numbers)
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change of email address
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any new medical condition or allergies that your child may have.