The Cairns Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) Program participants recently hosted Jo, an Inclusion Support Educator at a childcare centre and Support Worker, who was born deaf.
Jo has been teaching Auslan for over eight months and took the opportunity to share her experiences with the participants, who found the visit inspiring, interesting and informative.
Justyna Kaszynska, a SEE Trainer in Cairns, said she invited her friend Jo to the classroom to show her participants the power of inclusion and diversity.
“Before Jo’s visit, I taught the participants some new vocabulary, such as ‘deaf’, ‘Auslan’, ‘support worker’ and ‘cochlear implant’”, she said.
“We also came up with some questions to ask Jo about deaf culture in Australia, as well as learning more about her knowledge and experiences. Everyone was grateful for the experience of meeting someone who uses Auslan, especially as their primary mode of communication”.
When Jo arrived, she took over the lesson and instantly engaged with the participants. She encouraged questions and made jokes, making the whole class instantly comfortable.
As Justyna and her participants went through their list of questions, Jo happily answered and gave some interesting insights into life as a deaf person living and working in Australia. There was one answer in particular that took the students by surprise; Jo can hear and enjoy music through vibrations.
For the final portion of the lesson, Jo taught the participants how to sign certain words in Auslan, such as ‘thank you’ and ‘koala’.
Justyna said that the experience was fun and insightful for the participants, encouraging them in their studies.
“The class realised that there truly are jobs out there for everyone, regardless of their perceived limitations”, she said.
“It’s all about dedicating yourself to your goals and working hard. I know that some of our participants are self-conscious about their low – or even non-existent – English skills, so it was amazing for them to see how much Jo has accomplished. They found her incredibly inspiring and we’re all looking forward to her next visit”.
