Media Article
Donation to the Deaf Community
Joint Media Release - 2nd June 2008
The Australian Communication Exchange (ACE) today donated a large range of deaf and hearing-related products to national consumer and advocacy group Deaf Australia.
ACE Chief Executive Officer, Sandy Gilliland, said the donation is a part of the community‑based non-profit company adapting its service for the 21st century.
"ACE is a non-profit organisation which exists for the benefit of people who are Deaf, hard of hearing or communication-impaired. Over the past 12 months, ACE has been reviewing its business so it could use its limited resources to provide the best available service to the people it serves," Mr. Gilliland said.
"New technologies for Deaf and hard of hearing people and their ease of access through such things as the Internet mean it’s no longer necessary for ACE to keep resources such as communication and auditory technology products in stock, as it was a decade ago."
Mr. Gilliland said the decision to close the company’s Deafness Resources arm was made on the back of extensive research involving key community groups, members and business partners.
"Rather than see our product go to waste, we wanted to donate it all to a group which has strong links to the communities we serve," he said.
"Deaf Australia was the obvious choice and we are extremely happy our donation can give a great kick start to their recently-opened Auslan shop."
Deaf Australia's President, Kyle Miers, said the resources provided by ACE will give 'ownership' back to the Deaf community.
"Deafness Resources was originally established by Deaf people, in particular Deaf Australia's founding president, Dorothy Shaw, so it's great to see it being returned to us. We appreciate this generous donation from ACE," Mr Miers said.
"The Auslan Shop is a 21st Century version of Deafness Resources Australia. It takes the original Deafness Resources concept and refines it for the modern world, and incorporates what we have learned about Auslan since DRA was established in the early 1980s," he said.
The Auslan Shop, www.auslanshop.com.au sells materials in Auslan and about Auslan, Deaf community, culture, history, education, and much more. All Auslan products are first assessed by Deaf Australia’s Auslan Endorsement System. If you buy it from the Auslan Shop you can be sure it is Auslan.
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