Speech pathologist gets awarded Queenslander of the Year

[shezzbeav]

A PIONEER of children's education has been named Queenslander of the Year.

Brisbane-based speech pathologist Dimity Dornan, who founded the Hear and Say Centre, received the award at a ceremony in Brisbane on Tuesday night.

Ms Dornan was recognised for her work with hearing impaired children and her efforts to debunk the myth that deaf children could not hear and speak well enough to be understood. She fought back tears receiving the honour.

"I stand here to represent all the children who are deaf, and all who haven't been born yet who are deaf," she told the audience.

"I think the changes we can make in (deaf) children's lives are so huge you can't believe them until you see them.

"Deaf is not deaf anymore," she said.

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
She founded the Hear and Say Centre in Queensland two decades ago. There are now six throughout the state, teaching more than 200 children.

Source: Dimity Dornan awarded Queenslander of the Year | Courier Mail

-----

Very outraged about this... and a lot of deaf people in Australia are also outraged about it too. She does not deserve such an award.

Have a look at my essay... Shex Says...

Comments welcomed - opposing or not

 

[JClarke]

I appluad for Shex's message and she's right DEAF is DEAF no matter how levelled you are. I remember at the meeting in Sydney two weekends ago, the woman said doesn't matter how deaf you are, you are deaf, accept it. Full stop.

 

[shel90]

"I stand here to represent all the children who are deaf, and all who haven't been born yet who are deaf," she told the audience.

How arrogant!

 

[A]

I wonder how her former clients feel about her? I'm sure there are some who like her (there's always a deaf person who hate being deaf, especially if they been raised in certain household). But yeah, she is a zealot, that's for sure.

I think she would have been one of those teachers who will slap your hands with a ruler if technology didn't exist.

 

[rockin'robin]

I wonder how her former clients feel about her? I'm sure there are some who like her (there's always a deaf person who hate being deaf, especially if they been raised in certain household). But yeah, she is a zealot, that's for sure.

I think she would have been one of those teachers who will slap your hands with a ruler if technology didn't exist.

Well, my English teacher smacked my hand with a ruler when I attempted to sign....she told me to "talk"...The reason: She said if I didn't continue to "talk", (since I was late deafened)...I would "forget how."....I'm still talking, remembering the "lesson". I sign also, but I'm not fluent. I've had a lot of long-run emotional issues regarding this. Being "in the middle"....

 

[faire_jour]

I agree that someone who is deaf is deaf forever, BUT deaf does not mean that you can not hear anymore.

 

[A]

Well, my English teacher smacked my hand with a ruler when I attempted to sign....she told me to "talk"...The reason: She said if I didn't continue to "talk", (since I was late deafened)...I would "forget how."....I'm still talking, remembering the "lesson". I sign also, but I'm not fluent. I've had a lot of long-run emotional issues regarding this. Being "in the middle"....

That's gotta be hard. I know where you are coming from. Some of us really don't like to forget how to use our voice and sometime are glad our teachers made sure of that.

If I wanted to prevent me from forgetting my speech, I would keep reading at loud all the time. I think the teachers should encourage that as well.

 

[Miss-Delectable]

She reeked of ignorance. Does she really think she is a saviour of deaf kids?

I don't think so. We ought point that out to her.

 

[faire_jour]

Is it that much more arrogant than a few Deaf people who say that every single child with a hearing loss belongs to the Deaf community and not their family or their families beliefs or culture.

 

[Bottesini]

Is it that much more arrogant than a few Deaf people who say that every single child with a hearing loss belongs to the Deaf community and not their family or their families beliefs or culture.

Later, you will be dead. You can't always be there. Being of the deaf community will be of more help to your daughter later.

 

[shel90]

Is it that much more arrogant than a few Deaf people who say that every single child with a hearing loss belongs to the Deaf community and not their family or their families beliefs or culture.

Why you always bring up negativity about the Deaf community whenever we talk about speech and oralism?

This article is about this speech teacher who sees herself as a savior to "save" all deaf children.

If you want to complain about the Deaf community, pls start a new thread about it.

 

[faire_jour]

Later, you will be dead. You can't always be there. Being of the deaf community will be of more help to your daughter later.

I believe that the Deaf community is a great place for MY child, but other people have other beliefs. I want my child to be a part of that community, and I have made the choice and she will when she gets older. It is not neccesarily a birthright, and most people with a hearing loss aren't a part of the Deaf community.

 

[Bottesini]

I believe that the Deaf community is a great place for MY child, but other people have other beliefs. I want my child to be a part of that community, and I have made the choice and she will when she gets older. It is not neccesarily a birthright, and most people with a hearing loss aren't a part of the Deaf community.

True, but most people with a hearing loss are not deaf.

 

[faire_jour]

Why you always bring up negativity about the Deaf community whenever we talk about speech and oralism?

This article is about this speech teacher who sees herself as a savior to "save" all deaf children.

If you want to complain about the Deaf community, pls start a new thread about it.

She never said she was a savior. You chose to read that into her remarks.