PM Transcripts

FOR MEDIA SUNDAY, ' 27 SEPTEMBER, 1981
LAUNCHING OF DEAFNESS AWARENESS WEEK
1981 is the International Year of Disabled Persons and this
gives an added significance to Deafness Awareness Week.
Eight hundred thousand people in Australia have impaired hearing,
and I believe there is a growing'awareness of the difficulties
which deaf people face in everyday living.
The community has a responsibility to understand the special needs
of all groups_ of disabled persons and so far as possible, to
make the kinds of arrangements which enable disabled persons
to live normal lives.
The Australian Caption Centre, which will give deaf people
access to tEelevision programmes by means of sub-titles is a
good example of the kind of initiatives we need.
The Caption Centre will become operational during next year and
it will open to people with impaired hearing a dimension on
life that most of us take for granted.
The Commonwealth Government is providing over $ 620,000 this year
for the Caption Centre , and this grant is a good example of the
Government's commitment to do everything it can to assist disabled
persons with the opportunities and services they require.
This year's Commonwealth Budget in fact allocates more than
$ 1.1 billion for various programmes and projects to assist
disabled and handicapped people throughout Australia and I am
sure that all Australians would agree that disabled and
handicapped persons deserve this level of support.
The purposq of National Deafness Awareness Week is not to raise
money, but to raise our level of care and understanding for
people who cannot hear.
I hope that the community will take advantage of this week to
learn more about the nature of deafness, and how certain aspects
of deafness may be cured, prevented or alleviated.
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