Deaf and hard of hearing

FloodSafe for people living with low or no hearing

Many people across NSW are affected by dangerous floods and there have been avoidable deaths due to flooding. The protection of life is the highest priority for the NSW SES when we make decisions about planning for floods.

People who have low or no hearing  may be more susceptible to the impacts of floods. It is important to care for and assist all people to be prepared for, respond to and recover from floods.

Identifying a support person or carer who can assist with planning for and response to floods can greatly increase the resilience of people with low or no hearing to recover faster from flood events.

If you care for a person who has low or no hearing, they may need assistance in planning for floods as well as putting that plan into action in times of flood.

Consider:

• Setting up a support tree to contact people with low or no hearing (by visiting them) when a Flood Watch or Flood Warning has been issued, is a good way to make sure they get current information.

• Utilise a care or support person to develop a FloodSafe Plan that suits your situation

FloodSafe information on what to do before, during and after a flood is relevant for people with low or no hearing. A support person can run through the advice and tips for these areas with the person and assist in preparing, responding and recovering from floods.

The Deaf Community, NSW SES and the National Relay Service

If you are deaf, or hard of hearing or speech impairment:
1.Contact us through the National Relay Service
2.Give the NSW State Emergency Service number you want to call.

For more information, visit: https://www.accesshub.gov.au/

The NSW SES has developed Auslan translation videos below:

Research (2013): Increasing the resilience of the NSW Deaf Community to natural hazards

NSW SES has been working with the Deaf Society, University of NSW and other NSW Emergency Services on a NSW State Government funded project looking at increasing the resilience of the Deaf Community in NSW to natural hazards.

The project aimed to:

• Increase the resilience of the Deaf Community to future natural hazards and disasters via improved access to and provision of emergency management information; and
• Increase the effective resources of NSW emergency service organisations enabling them to deliver their core business and to improve the deaf awareness for staff and professional officers within those organisations.

The key reports from this project are below:

• 1. Deliverable Synthesis Report
• 2. & 3. Deaf Community Needs Assessment
• 4. Emergency Services Capacity Assessment
• Final Report