Peter Demmery
Posted on 23 Feb 2011 11:08 am

Many depressed and despairing deaf people are disappointed Rob Oakeshott has not presented a bill to amend the Health Act, which he has been promising to do something about for 3 years, especially in his words, "If he has the balance of power". He has promised many times that it is one of his top priorities to stop the discrimination and inequity against the over 21 year old deaf clients of Australian Hearing who have the future use of their cochlear implants threatened because under the legislation some hearing devices are provided to clients but for those who are the most deaf, including the deaf/blind, their speech processors are not. These people are extremely disadvantaged and desperately need the support that other less hearing impaired clients receive. All that is needed is simply a change in legislation to include all hearing devices. Some of these people are so depressed and feeling hopeless that they are suiciding. Rob Oakeshott, et al, is well aware of this.