Senate Community Affairs References Committee tables report on Hearing Health in Australia

The Senate Community Affairs References Committee tabled its report on the inquiry into Hearing Health in Australia on 13 May 2010.

At the press conference immediately following the tabling of the report, Senator Rachel Siewert addressed the major recommendations and Senator Claire Moore acknowledged the role of Deafness Forum to instigate the Senate Inquiry, through years of lobbying. 

This includes the work done in the past through Deafness Forum's Hearing Health as a National Priority Committee, chaired by Peter Lindley, and the impact of Deafness Forum's technology demonstration at Parliament House in 2009, among other lobbying activities.

The report focuses on the prevalence of hearing loss in Australia and the issues faced by those who are hearing impaired. These issues include access and services, educational opportunities and lack of support in the criminal justice system. It specifically addresses a number of issues in indigenous hearing health.

See Deafness Forum's media release. 

The committee has made a number of important recommendations. These include:

Recommendation 2 (chapter four): The committee recommends that the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations engage with state and territory jurisdictions, and with employment and hearing loss peak bodies, to develop a 10 year strategy to better support, engage and retain hearing impaired Australians in the workforce.

Recommendation 4 (chapter five): The committee recommends that eligibility for the Australian Government Hearing Services Voucher Program be extended to include all Australians, subject to eligibility and a means test.

Recommendation 5 (chapter five): The committee recommends that former child clients of Australian Hearing remain eligible for Australian Hearing support until the age of 25. This eligibility is to be subject to a means test. Former child client of Australian Hearing who do not meet the means test are to have the option to access Australian Hearing support on a fee-for-service basis until the age of 25. 

The report may be accessed at www.aph.gov.au/senate_ca or obtained from the Committee Secretariat: phone 02 6277 3515 or email community.affairs.sen@aph.gov.au