Latest News & Media
31 January 2012: First Voice releases annual report
First Voice has released its annual report on its first year as the national voice for listening and spoken language member organisations. First Voice has exerted a high level of influence in its first year of operation, and continues to demonstrate thought, policy, research and clinical leadership on all matters related to early childhood deafness.
22 August, 2011, Canberra: Social and economic benefits of early intervention for economic benefits of early intervention for deaf children far outweigh investment cost, says new report
Every dollar invested in early intervention services for deaf children produces almost two dollars worth of social, educational, vocational and economic benefit, according to a new cost-benefit analysis launched in Canberra today.Full details.
Copy of Full Cost Benefit Analysis - click.
Copy of Summarised Cost Benefit Analysis - click.
12 August, 2011: Childhood hearing service coalition welcomes Federal disability commitment
First Voice has welcomed the commitment of the Federal Government to invest significant new resources in disability support. First Voice Chairperson Dr Dimity Dornan said that plans announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Wednesday show the Federal Government appreciates the benefits to the community that would be realised by investing additional resources in disability support and services. Click for full details.
30 June, 2011 – "Doing Time - Time for Doing"
First Voice has welcomed the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Affairs “Doing Time – Time for Doing” hearing health recommendations but is calling on the Commonwealth Government to seriously consider how the recommendations can be implemented. Click for full details.
April 2011 - First Voice active at 6th Annual Newborn Hearing Screening Conference in Perth
First Voice presented major new data at the 6th Annual Newborn Screening Conference in Perth. The presentation raised a number of important questions about pathways to early intervention from screening and families dropping through these gaps. There was particular disussion of children with mild and moderate losses, those Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD), children who pass the intial screening but develop hearing loss before the age of five and those having difficulty accessing much needed Cochlear Implants.
February 2011 - First Voice secures major Telstra research grant
First Voice will use funds from a major new Telstra grant to commission a national research project into best practices for treating hearing impaired children. First Voice was announced as a major recipient of funds from Telstra Foundation's Social Innovation Grant in September 2010. The funding will be used to develop and deploy a new clinical database across First Voice's national network of member organisations to record and report on each child's developmental progress. The project will expand on an existing platform of shared assessment instruments and protocols to create a national research database as the basis of a more collaborative approach toward the development of a best practice model for treating hearing impaired children. The project will run for three years, from 2011 to 2013.
November 2010 - We let our children do the talking!
Ned and Ruby from First Voice’s Hear and Say Centre in Queensland send a personal message to The Hon Kevin Rudd MP, who was a guest speaker at the 2010 Hear and Say graduation ceremony. He was delighted with the message and crafted his speech around it!
November 2010 - Working with government to develop and implement new federal funding
First Voice is working with the Australian Government to assist in the development and implementation of the recently announced funding package, A Better Start for Children with Disability.
October 2010 - First Voice is officially launched
First Voice was officially launched by its Patron, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, at a ceremony at Admiralty House in Sydney on 7 October 2010.
October 2010 - First Voice leads industry funding coalition
First Voice leads a major industry coalition in the run up to the Federal Election campaign to put hearing impairment and disability issues on the political agenda with all major Australian political parties.
September 2010 - Major submission to the Australian Government’s Funding for Schools Committee
First Voice has submitted a paper which represents the needs of hearing impaired children to the Australian Government’s Funding for Schools Committee.
July 2010 - First Voice welcomes funding commitment
Significant commitment by Federal Labor to provide hearing impaired kids with a Great Start First Voice welcomes the announcement by the Federal Labor Party that it will provide funding of $6,000 per child per year for two years similar to the Autism Support package.