Newsletter and IYOP Initiatives Australian Coalition '99

A NEW SERVICE FOR DEAF PEOPLE

22 October 1999

MEDIA RELEASE

The Deafness Forum of Australia announces the establishment of a new telephone inquiry hotline to operate from Monday 25 October. The number is 1800 022 878

Chief Executive Officer, Brian Rope, said: "People who use hearing aids and have questions about the new CDMA digital mobile phones will be able to get answers to their questions by calling
1800 022 878. This inquiry hotline can be called using either a voice telephone or a TTY text phone. That means deaf persons who communicate visually will be able to get their answers about CDMA via a text display, while those who communicate orally will be able to speak with the hotline operator to obtain the information they need."

CDMA is a new digital mobile phone technology being introduced throughout Australia. Research tests conducted in recent months indicate that the great majority of hearing aid users will be able to use CDMA phones without suffering the interference, discomfort and even pain that most of them would experience from GSM digital mobile phones. This means that hearing aid users should be able to switch from using analogue mobile phones to CDMA digital mobile phones, as the analogue mobile phone network is phased out.

This CDMA information hotline has been made possible with the assistance of the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) and Telstra. The ACA is meeting the costs of the phone line and staffing for the hotline. Telstra has made a donation to the Deafness Forum of the combined phone and TTY that will be used on the CDMA information hotline.

For additional information contact:
Brian Rope
Chief Executive Officer
Voice: 02 6262 7808 bh
02 6258 2131 ah
0418 681 178 mobile
TTY: 02 6262 7809 bh

or

Mandy Dolejsi
Project Officer
Voice: 02 6262 7808 bh
TTY: 02 6262 7809 bh

ABOUT THE DEAFNESS FORUM

Deafness Forum is the peak body for deafness in Australia. Established in early 1993, the Deafness Forum now represents all interests and viewpoints of the Deaf and hearing impaired communities of Australia. The representational base of the Deafness Forum is divided into five Sections:

a) Hearing Impaired Section - persons with a hearing loss who communicate predominantly orally,

b) Deaf Section - i.e. the Deaf Community - those persons who consider themselves to be members of that community by virtue of its language (sign language known as Auslan) and culture,

c) Parents section - parents or legal guardians of persons who are Deaf or hearing impaired,

d) Service Providers section - service providers to the Deaf and/or hearing impaired communities, and

e) Ear Disorders Section - persons with a chronic ear disorder (such as Tinnitus, Meniere's Disease or Acoustic Neuroma).

The Deafness Forum exists to improve the quality of life for Australian people who are Deaf or hearing impaired, and those with chronic ear disorders, through lobbying government, making input into policy and legislation, generating public awareness of hearing related issues, providing a forum for information sharing and creation of better understanding between all the diverse areas of deafness.