Charity CEOS applaud ‘phenomenal’ hearing project that started here
AFTER the Hear Our Heart Ear Bus began rolling out its hearing testing services to Central West kindergartens earlier this month, principal sponsors for the community-funded project paid a visit to see the remarkable technology first hand.
The Walter and Eliza Hall Group of Charities CEOS Monique Ribeiro and Helen Cook travelled from Sydney on May 10-11 to visit the project in action at Nanima Preschool.
Preschool director Deanne Towney helped Hear Our Heart Ear Bus Project volunteer director Donna Rees and Rachel Mills coordinate the day’s services.
“We partnered with many other organisations to provide hearing testing and healthy ears education,” Ms Mills said.
“We were there doing our usual hearing testing with the kiddies that we provide each term.
“Hearing Australia bought their hearing bus to provide testing for adults in the community, WACHS provided a BBQ lunch and the Department of Education Hearing Team provided healthy ears lessons and sound system support for the children and staff.
“Walter and Eliza Hall Trust (Wehall) have been our principal sponsor since 2018. We are a community-funded project belonging to Dubbo and District Deaf Club.
“Wehall provides $150,000 to pay for our staff and the other $150,000 is fundraised by our wonderful community.”
Ms Ribeiro said she and Ms Cook travelled to the preschool to see the Bus in action and learn about OTITIS MEDIA and the impacts of hearing loss on children.
“As a result, we’re learning about the important work the Hear Our Heart Ear Bus is doing in early screening and the identification of hearing issues to get on top of it so children and young people have the best possible outcome in terms of learning and education outcomes,” she said.
“It was great to see it all in action. The work they’re doing is phenomenal...it’s amazing work and we’re pleased to be involved.
“What they do uniquely...is they’re able to coordinate all different stakeholders and different players to provide the support around that child. They’re looking at the Department of Education, the health of the individual families, early educators, and the child.
“It’s no mean feat and they do it so well. It really is best practise and...i know they’re doing work around getting formal research done and I know they had a paper published...and it’s starting to gain recognition of being a best practise model.”