Deaf and hearing impaired
StormSafe for people living with deafness and hearing impairments
Many people across NSW are affected by dangerous storms and there have been avoidable deaths due to storm activity. The protection of life is the highest priority for the NSW SES when we make decisions about planning for storms.
People who are deaf of have impaired hearing may be more susceptible to the impacts of storms. It is important to care for and assist all people to be prepared for, respond to and recover from storms.
Identifying a support person or carer who can assist with planning for and response to storms can greatly increase the resilience of people who are deaf or have impaired hearing to recover faster from them.
If you care for a person who is deaf or has impaired hearing, they may need assistance in planning for storms as well as putting that plan into action when storms occur.
Some considerations:
- Help set up a support tree to contact people with limited or no hearing (by visiting them) when a Severe Thunderstorm Warning or Severe Weather Warning has been issued
- Utilise a care or support person to develop an emergency plan that suits your situation
StormSafe information on what to do before, during and after a storm is relevant for people who are deaf or have impaired 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 storms.
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:
