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Book Review – True Biz

True Biz Book Cover

Sara Novic, Penguin Random House, 2022 pp ISBN 9780593241509 Through a blend of fiction and creative non-fiction Sara Novic has crafted an urgent and compelling lament of the demise of culturally important Deaf education In America. The fiction takes readers into the pleasures and pains of Deaf communities and outliers, whilst the non-fiction unwraps some mysteries of American sign language …

Book Review – Disrupting the academy with lived experience-led knowledge

Disrupting the Academy with Lived Experience-Led Knowledge book cover

Maree Higgins and Caroline Lenette (eds) Policy Press, Bristol, 2024 pp 194ISBN: 9781447366348 (pbk) Expert-knowers write chapters in this work, challenging academic norms, while providing potent examples of lived experience-led research. The epistemic justice framing in which lived experiences are prioritised and honoured, entwines with social justice. As Estelle Keerthana Ramaswamy notes: ‘Authors should declare their positionality in their research and writing …

Seeing things that aren’t there

Ghost image of a person not there

Last week Annmaree and Suzie travelled to Newcastle to talk on “seeing things that aren’t there” or visual hallucinations, often called Charles Bonnet syndrome.  “Seeing things that aren’t there”, that no one else can see and that are called visual hallucinations. “Seeing things that aren’t there” is very common in people with problems seeing well. Deafblind people “see things that …

Being Included in Museum Visits

With the guide at Hampton court palace

Travelling can be a complicated experience when you have combined hearing loss and low vision. In particular, going to galleries, museums and exhibitions can often be an excluding experience: not enough accessible information, few visual descriptions, scarce large print materials and frequently, noisy, crowded surrounds. Sometimes I trail behind my husband feeling bored. Sometimes I drink tea in the café …

Moira in Singapore

I’m in Singapore for two weeks as part of a long standing program between Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) and Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney. The Bachelor of Nursing (BN) (post-Registration) is taught by academics from Sydney Nursing School and designed for Registered Nurses who want to extend their clinical practice and progress as a nursing leader. While here, …

Occupational Therapy Students Lecture

We sometimes fail to realise that teaching is a gift given and one that is received too. As part of the Master of Occupational Therapy Course, Annmaree, Suzanne and Susannah went to give a lecture on dual sensory impairment using lived experience, research and verbatim testimony.  We covered key issues: Annmaree’s journey with deafness and then blindness and the funny …

Local Book Launch

Moira (left) and Annmaree (right) smiling and enjoying book launch

Annmaree and Moira’s new book, Dual Sensory Impairment and the Older Person: An Invisible Epidemic, was launched locally at Sydney University. The book will be launched by the publisher formally early October. Links to books: An invisible epidemic?: https://livedplacespublishing.com/book/isbn/9781915734365 Knowing what is going on: https://livedplacespublishing.com/book/isbn/9781915271433