Melissa Thompson travels long distances each week, from north-east Melbourne to Prahran in Melbourne’s inner south-east. It is here that she patters into a large auditorium like room with stain glass windows lining the high ceiling perimeter. She is the playgroup coordinator at Signee Tots, a playgroup that turned 20 years old this year. The John Pierce Centre itself has been in operation for 40 years. Melissa is dedicated and cares deeply for the families at her playgroup. We caught up with her to learn more about the Deaf community as she inspires us all to embrace diversity.

 You have been exploring the topic of diversity at your playgroup. Why is this important? Why is it particularly important to teach young children about inclusion and diversity?

Signee Tots is a playgroup which runs in Auslan (Australian Sign Language) for families in which there are Deaf adults or children. It is run from the John Pierce Centre, a Deaf Community Centre, which also provides services to Deaf people with other interests or are at other stages of life. The Deaf people who make up our community can be considered part of a cultural and linguistic minority group, using Auslan. They are a part of the distinct cultural group that is the Deaf Community.

A large part of my work is on advocating for access for Deaf people. I see the impact of barriers, segregation and disadvantage that can come from a lack of understanding of the need for inclusivity.

At Signee Tots I feel it is important to teach the same values and awareness – people may look different, speak or sign other languages, have different cultural practices and beliefs, and come from different parts of the world. Diversity is to be embraced and it is our job as compassionate global citizens to ensure access is provided equally, regardless of difference.

Every child that joins Signee Tots makes a cardboard version of themselves, or of their creative and imaginative version of themselves – apparently I have a few children with pink hair! These are placed around a mural of the globe that we are making. Each child also makes a puzzle piece which contributes to this globe. In this way we are showing that we are all different, emphasising the different places people may have come from, and that we are all pieces that contribute to a whole – the individuals who together make up our community.

This year Signee Tots has also been using the award-winning picture book, ‘All The Ways to be Smart’ by Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys, as our theme. This book celebrates different skills and interests of young children, from bubble blowing to dancing. It emphasises that we do not all need to follow the same path or to be measured by the same ruler – diversity and uniqueness are to be celebrated.

What is it about the John Pierce Centre space that makes it so beneficial? What age groups visit the centre?

The John Pierce Centre (JPC) is a Deaf Community Centre, that serves the Victorian Deaf Community across the life span. In addition to the Signee Tots playgroup, for families with pre-school age children, there are also school holiday activities for older children, a seniors group, a men’s group, a ladies group, and an arts group. Once a month, JPC also provides a mass in Auslan, and provides pastoral care and support to Deaf people across the state as needed.

JPC is located in an area that was historically at the centre of the Victorian Deaf Community – located close to the Victorian College for the Deaf. Many of our community members are past students from the school. We offer services in a ‘Deaf friendly space’. Communication here is in Auslan (Australian Sign Language) and attention is paid to making sure there are no visual obstructions to line of sight. Signed presentations and songs are supported by lyrics, content or images displayed on a projection screen.

Historically, there were a number of Deaf clubs around Victoria, where the community would meet and socialise in Auslan. For a number of reasons, many of these have since closed, making JPC all the more special as one of the remaining ‘Deaf spaces’.

Why is the sharing of Deaf experiences so important?

As the ‘All Come Out to Play’ program and the Signee Tots focus on diversity this year highlight, society is not homogenous. How boring and competitive would it be if we were all carbon copies of one another, walking the same path and striving for the same goals? Instead our society is like a rainbow, made of many different colours. One of these colours is deafness. JPC recently filmed an Auslan version of a picture book called ‘Reena’s Rainbow’, by Dee White and Tracie Grimshaw about a Deaf girl and a homeless dog, who came to realise that they too belong to the rainbow that is our community. This can be accessed here.

Deaf awareness needs to be provided to the wider population, so they know how to provide full access and to fully include Deaf people. A beautiful example of the impact of Deaf awareness is Playgroup Victoria’s commitment to the provision of Auslan interpreters at major events. Once accessibility for the Deaf community was highlighted, Playgroup Victoria was wonderful in their commitment to ensure full access. I thank and congratulate them for this action.

The experience of Deaf role models also needs to be shown to the younger generations of Deaf people, to the parents of deaf children, and to the hearing professionals working alongside Deaf colleagues. Deaf adults fluent in Auslan are language role models. They provide reassurance to parents of deaf children that with appropriate support, education and access, their Deaf babies can and will grow into thriving members of society.

How far do people travel to come here? How far do you travel? Why do people need to travel so far? Is there a lack of available facilities for Deaf families?

Signee Tots is a unique program, and there are seldom few, if any equivalents, that I know of. As such families travel significant distances to attend. In my time facilitating the program I have had families coming to Prahran from Ballan, Bacchus Marsh, Dandenong, Lilydale, to give a few examples. Since the time when I attended with my own son, I have driven over an hour each way to get to JPC.

One of the major reasons families attend Signee Tots is for Auslan language development, be this for the children, or for hearing parents. Even before the roll out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) there was a shortage of Auslan interpreters and Auslan language teachers, and this has intensified recently. Many families describe the difficulties they face looking for these services. There are very few places which provide programs fully accessible to Deaf families. Like any cultural and linguistic group, Deaf families also like to engage in programs and to socialise in their own language – Auslan. I think it is for these reasons that they are willing to parcel their young children up and drive such long distances to attend Signee Tots.

How has life changed in the Deaf community from when you first started to now?

I have been involved in the Deaf Community for a bit over ten years. In that time I have seen the roll out of the NDIS, and a greater awareness of the need for access in Auslan. For example interpreted shows and performances, and Auslan interpreting on emergency broadcasts. There are also more schools providing Auslan in their curriculum, and more cinemas providing open captioning on films. Video communication through Facebook, Skype and Whatsapp have been adopted by some members of community, making it possible to communicate in Auslan using technology.

Alongside these positive changes, it is frustrating to see that some of the same issues still continue. There is a massive shortage of Auslan interpreters, and there are still arguments about how to provide the best education for deaf children.

You are a hearing person, but you feel right at home in the Deaf community. Of what value is it for more people to learn Auslan? How can we change the perception so that people see it in a way that we see the learning of any other language?

To be a part of the Deaf Community is a privilege and an honour for me. I began learning Auslan over ten years ago, and made a point of bringing my son to Signee Tots and other bilingual programs, because I wanted him to be raised around Deaf people and Auslan. My knowledge of Auslan and Deaf cultural awareness has grown through the patient and generous teaching of my Deaf friends, colleagues and tutors.

I think that when hearing people learn Auslan and about the Deaf Community, it serves a number of purposes. It means that they have Deaf access at the front of mind, and can ally with the community to ensure full access. Auslan is a beautiful language and it gives access to the beauty that is the Deaf Community.

Article by Sinead Halliday