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Northern Territory Community Development Project

What is it?

The NT Community Development Project is a one-year project to help Deaf people in the NT become strong advocates who are able to lobby for services that they need.

Deaf Australia is working with DeafNT on this project. Everything the project does will be in partnership with DeafNT.

The project is for both Indigenous Deaf people and non-Indigenous Deaf people. It will:

• Find out what things Deaf people in the NT need to learn to develop their knowledge and skills to be more confident in asking (lobbying) for services they need.
• Give some training to Deaf people in the NT to give them good skills and knowledge about how to lobby for the services they need.

The project started in March 2008 and will finish on 28 February 2009.

Who is working on it?

Paula Thornton is the Project Officer for this project. She has experience working with Deaf people and lobbying.

Deaf Australia manages this project and Paula reports directly to Deaf Australia.

The project works in partnership with DeafNT – Paula’s work-space is in the DeafNT office and she works closely with Debb Lovett, the Co-ordinator at DeafNT.

Why has Deaf Australia set up this project?

A few years ago DeafNT asked Deaf Australia (previously Australian Association of the Deaf) to come to Darwin to maybe set up a branch of Deaf Australia in the NT. Deaf Australia sent some people to Darwin and talked with DeafNT and Deaf people there.

The Deaf community in Darwin is very small and Deaf Australia believes it is too small to have two organisations, so it is better for Deaf Australia to work with DeafNT and try to help DeafNT and the NT Deaf community become stronger. DeafNT agreed with us that this was the best way.

In 2006 Deaf Australia asked the Australian Government for some funding to run a project to provide skills training for the NT Deaf community to help it become stronger. The funding was made available earlier this year (March 2008).

Why is the project only for one year?

It is hard to get government funding for long-term projects. We were lucky to get funding for one year so we want to make sure the project goes well and we do the best we can in partnership with the NT Deaf community. After the project is finished, Deaf Australia will continue to seek funding and opportunities to work with DeafNT and be involved in the NT Deaf Community.

This project is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

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