Auslan workshops are creating a positive environment for people with hearing loss in Esperance. Photo: Sarah Brophy.
When Sarah Brophy moved to Esperance with her family two years ago, she was determined to create a community that shared a common language with her deaf son.
“We started with a sign and wine event and there was a lot of interest,” Ms Brophy said.
“It kind of just went from there and I got in touch with the WA Foundation for Deaf Children and asked them to come down and it just snowballed really.”
The Perth-based WA Foundation has travelled to Esperance three times in the last year to run weekend Auslan workshops.
Ms Brophy said the classes had attracted deaf children and their families, teenagers with hearing loss, teachers and support workers, and others interested in learning sign language too.
“It’s been a huge success and you’ve got all these families that now have another pathway of communication with their children and a broader understanding of deafness,” she said.
“We’ve seen some really amazing shifts in communication with certain children and definitely more positive environments in the family.
“With our son, he’s now got this beautiful little community around him of people that can ask him how his day was and introduce themselves and make basic conversation.
“It’s really magic to see.”
Ms Brophy said the last workshop in August had seen the largest turnout in any WA region.
She said she was optimistic it would be the start of more opportunities for deaf people, particularly in a regional town with limited support.
“I think this could be the start of something really great,” she said.
“Our family now has the opportunity to live in this beautiful town and work in jobs that we really enjoy because we are able to access these resources and connect with the community.
“The dream would be if Esperance could be a deaf tourist hub, where it’s a super deaf-friendly town and people can come and ask a stranger where the nearest bathroom is, and they’ll be able to sign and tell them.
“That would be the absolute dream but there would be a bit of work to get there.”
Ms Brophy said they had received local support to keep the classes running, including two small grants from the Esperance Shire. The WA Foundation is set to come again in November to teach level 1 and 2 courses.
