Apology From Grant

This is the first edition of VCOD emails news for some time and I do apology for this.  As a result of a field placement with DHS plus ongoing training with Deaf Deaf World plus making a decision about the move meant that some projects have been put on hold.  Hopefully for now VCOD email news will continue every fortnight.  Once again I apology for the delay.

This week’s topics

VCOD’s news

·        VCOD move to Vicdeaf or VSDC

·        VCOD Membership

·        TxT Radio free service

·        AAD AGM/ State Meeting in Brisbane

·        Car Rally Sunday 1^st June

·        Volunteers required to assist VCOD at meetings

.

Other news

·        Melbourne Deaf Club Last Event May31

·        Vicdeaf Auction of furniture and other goods

·        Young and Jackson Pub Night

·        Human Rights and captioning

·        RACV and SMS

·        VCOD and Closed Captioning cinemas

·        Deaf Aussie Tours

·        Deaf TV 7pm Channel 31

·        Melbourne Museum

·        Web Links

VCOD Board and staff will be making a decision on whether to stay at VSDC or move back with Vicdeaf.  Both organizations have made offers in writing to VCOD Board and a decision will be made soon.  Keep an eye on the web page at www.vcod.com.au/whatsnews

VCOD has now released the membership form for 2003 and you can join VCOD as an individual or an organisation.  Fee for individual is $30 ($5 rise due to overall cost of living going up such as stamps) and Organisations are $50 (no price rise)

You can ring Melanie on 9521 2466 to get a membership form or email admin@vcod.com.au or download from the web at www.vcod.com.au/contactus

For this week you can join TxT Radio and get all the latest news via mobile.  To date some of the txt messages includes Pizza pick up 2 for $12, 20% of mobile phones, free ticket to another captioned movies, free beers at Young and Jackson.  All this plus keeping up to date with all the latest news from the Deaf community and also news from around the world.  To get this free service for this week contact Lorelle at lorellet@trex.net.au and include your mobile number.
Also check the web at www.txtradio.com.au for more information.

The annual meeting of all branches plus AAD will take place on Queen’s Birthday weekend.  VCOD will be sending two reps Berna Hutchins and Brian Bernal plus Grant Roberts will be attending. If you have any issues you want VCOD to raise with AAD please let Grant know as soon as possible so that AAD can be informed of any agenda items.  Please do it before this Thursday.

AAD will be holding their AGM on the Friday 6^th June so if you would like to have a proxy vote, pls make sure that you are a member of AAD and you can fill out a proxy form and Brian or Berna will be happy to be your proxy in Brisbane.

VCOD is organising a Deaf Car Rally, which will take place on Sunday 1^st June from10am.  The rally will be specifically Deaf related such as landmarks or significant places in history. Cost is $5 for members and $7 for non-members. Just turn up on the day and prizes will be given out.  The cost also includes a BBQ sausage and hamburger. So come along and join in the fun as we drive all over Melbourne getting to know the history of Deaf places.  For more information contact Melanie at admin@vcod.com.au

Currently VCOD is involved in a number of committees and as VCOD Is a small organization it cannot be involved in all the meetings that are held.

VCOD is involved in the following committees

·        Deaf Arts Network

o       On hold at the moment however this group meetings every two months in South Melbourne and Interpreters are provided

·        Disability Discrimination Legal Service

o       Meets every month on Wednesday at Lunchtime in Kings St Melbourne and interpreters provided. Discuss issues around legal cases that clients have contact DDLS with.

·        Theatre

o       From time to time a meeting is held by Vicdeaf to discuss interpreting issues relating to theatre.  These meetings are held late afternoon from time to time

If you would like to be involved in any of the above meetings please email Grant at info@vcod.com.au

The last event to be held at the Melbourne Deaf club before closing forever.  So come along to this free event starting at 7pm at 101 Wellington Pde Sth and is an Aussie outback theme night and will be entertainment and much more throughout the night.  Just turn up.

If you like to bid for things on auction that Vicdeaf is selling then please go to http://www.egans.com.au/au_search.php?company=egans&code=6653 and have a browse at some of the things on sale

The next night is 21^st May 2003 from 6pm. The pub is at the corner of Swanston and Flinders St so just turn up and meet people for a social chat.

You are welcome to make a submission (write) about captioning to Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission http://www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/exemptions/tvcap/submissions.html

Let them know that you are not happy with less than 100% captioning.

Let them know you cannot afford a $2,000 DVD recorder.

Let them know they are ignoring digital TV.

Let them know anything at all really.

RACV and SMS has been a long ongoing issue for VCOD.  To bring you up to date here is what has been happening.

·        Neale from RACV has left.  Neale and VCOD had ongoing discussion for over two years until April this year when Neale resigned from RACV

·        VCOD approached Message 4 U to look at options to set up SMS service at RACV.  Message 4 U were confident that had the answers.  Neale and Robert from Message 4 U met and discussed options.

·        A trial was due to start but as Neale resigned RACV withdraw from this trial.

·        RACV now saying that Message 4 U needs further investigation in regards to being compatible with the Intergraph computers at RACV.

·        Message 4 U is confident that the system they have can work and will help Deaf people.

·        A person is taking RACV to the Equal Opportunity Commission stating that they had been discriminated against as unable to access RACV service when on the road.

VCOD is considering a protest at RACV head office to raise media awareness about this issue plus writing to the newspapers to make people aware of the issue and to make RACV do something instead of delaying all the time. 

Would you support VCOD and do you think this is a good way to do things or do you have another idea??  Please email your ideas to Grant at info@vcod.com.au

Over the summer in Melbourne, Botanical Gardens and Myer Music Bowl had cinemas that were made available at a cost for the public to watch movies such as Bend it like Beckham, An Affair to Remember and much more.  As none were captioned, VCOD has taken the issue to Equal Opportunity Commission to see if the companies can make up to 6 movies per year available in captions.  The case is ongoing at the moment.  One of the reasons for doing this is to make sure in 2005 when over 5000 people visit for the Deaflympics that events in Melbourne are accessible for Deaf people.  VCOD will keep you posted

My name is Wayne Hargood and I am an Australian deaf businessman based in Darwin, Northern Territory. I run a sign language guided tour service for the deaf and hard of hearing travellers and conduct tours in four wheel drive vehicles around Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Please have a look at our website for your information: www.deafaussietours.com

I would like the opportunity to introduce my deaf-run Australian tours to the worldwide deaf and hard of hearing communities, and I would be extremely grateful if you could inform everyone on my behalf. I am more than happy to answer any questions that you may have

Tuesday Night at 7pm on Channel 31.  At the moment repeats are being shown and the new shows should be ready in late June or July

As of late last week admission to the three campuses of Museum Victoria Melbourne Museum Scienceworks and Immigration Museum

is FREE for all concession card holders and children and reduced to just $6 for other adults.

This is really great news and resulted in nearly 5000 visitors last Sunday.

Melbourne Museum is still be running one AUSLAN tour each month on the second Sunday afternoon at 2pm so the next three months tours are 8 June, 13 July and 10 August

Website for the Human Rights in which a number of items on deaf can be found

http://www.humanrights.gov.au/

Jamaican Deaf Club

http://www.jamdeaf.org.jm/

That’s the ways the news is for this week.

Please feel free to add any news you have by emailing to Grant at info@vcod.com.au

From Melanie, Fiona, Melissa and Grant

VCOD Staff