I planned to go shopping today. Deaf Netball Victoria are having their 50th anniversary celebration next month. Hubby and I are dressing up to the nines. I wanted to go shopping to up-size my Little Black-dress. I have to breathe you know. I am sure it will still be little.
On my way out I checked my email. There were several Deaf related emails. Deaf Sports Victoria are having their AGM, $20 I must pay before Friday so that i can vote. I also have to renew my membership to Deaf Children Australia because i always like to support the little kiddies. That’s $50; but why an organisation as rich as them and who have a penchant for takeovers that would rival Rupert Murdoch needs to charge so much i am not quite sure.
Then of course I have to renew my Deaf Australia membership, that’s $30. Not to forget Deafness Forum which is $38. And of course my various sporting memberships – Deaf Netball, Deaf Ten Pin bowling. My goodness being deaf is an expensive business – All up these various memberships will set me back nearly $300.
That Little Black-dress – perhaps I can let it out a little!
I’m Desma Hunt. I’m Deaf and I’m paying for it.
The Rebuttal 
As past member of DCA, this article mean a lot to me.
While I am a member, DCA constantly ask me to make donations and financial contributions to DCA, and send me a lot of cynical fundraising letters.
I start to question why DCA exist and what benefits they provide to members. I decide to end my membership recently.
Deaf and hearing impaired people often don’t earn lot of money because employers not recognise their skills and capabilities. Surely Deaf and hearing impaired people better off spending their limited money elsewhere!
Rosalie.
I can well understand Desma’s issue here. Deaf Sports need funds to survive and if we want to take part in their activities then it will cost money. In some way it is still a small price to pay compared to what hearing sports charges per annum. But it does add up.
However I share my concerns as to the exorbant cost of membership fee for Deaf Children Australia and what you get in return. I have not been overly pleased with the way they have performed.
I understand remote/rural areas of Australia still remain an area that does not have DCA significant focus. There has been so much talks of DCA taking over other organisations in other states that I wonder about the poor Deaf/HoH children (let alone their parents) in in remote areas being neglected.
Also there is a significant lack of Deaf people in management levels in this organisation who, if DCA has their acts together, would have been excellent role models for Deaf and HoH students for the future.
Dean – Often deaf people, as well as paying for their deaf membership, have to pay the fees to participate in hearing comps as well – It becomes almost like a double whammy.
Worse thing is that some of these organisations actually duplicate what the others do so we pay double for the same thing or are forced to chose between one or the other. The competition for the membership dollar sometimes makes them say nasty things about each other too.
Perhaps we need to be looking at a way we can blend some of these memberships and organisations together so that we, the paying member, are not faced with so many competing demands.
In regards to competition for the membership dollar – very true Gary.
In the non deaf sporting world, membership to deafness related organisations are quite small (and hardly a main revenue source) compared to what the national statistics (ABS) tells us. The ‘blending in’ of these memberships and organisations will enable greater return of benefits including a much stronger voice on issues pertaining to deafness. It remains to be seen
This comment is very loosely relevant so forgive me. I was talking to a friend in Canada who told me about a programme at their recent Canadian Deaf Conference called DeafHood.
Deafhood was based on Paddy Ladd’s work and basically he spoke of the deaf community needing to let go of the divisions in deaf history and the community, hard of hearing and deaf, oral and signing, organisation vs organisation. My understanding was that by us encouraging these divisions and differences, we were endangering Deafhood. Tolerance and acceptance – working in partnerships, not fighting for the deaf consumers dollar and support… If half of this is even accurate I’d love to find out more. We need this in australia.