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Tasmania’s first ever family camp for children with hearing loss was held in February 2024 at Camp Clayton in Ulverstone. Families attended from across Tasmania, including areas as remote as King Island.
The camp was run by Deaf Children Australia Tasmania (DCA Tas) to provide an inclusive environment for families with children at various stages of their hearing loss journey.
Children with hearing loss are often marginalised. The family camp gave them a chance to understand they were not alone and to share their experiences with others in similar situations.
For parents, the camp created of a sense of confidence that their child could have a happy, successful life as a deaf person.
The families who attended say they have never experienced an event like this, and spoke of a lack of opportunities to meet other families with children who have hearing loss and connect socially in Tasmania.
Many families who connected at the camp have formed relationships that will continue, providing ongoing connection and support that would not have otherwise occurred.
A Step Forward grant allowed DCA Tas to provide an Auslan interpreter for the event.