Get Ready Workshop for Townsville's Deaf and hard of hearing community

Date published: 25 September 2023

Registrations are still open for a North Queensland first Deaf and hard of hearing Get Ready Workshop.

Townsville City Council, State Emergency Service (SES) and Deaf Connect will deliver a free information session for Deaf and hard of hearing residents or their carers and family members.

Townsville Mayor and Townsville Local Disaster Management Group Chair Jenny Hill said the workshop was about supporting and educating residents about high-risk weather events.

“We had strong attendances to the workshops we held for the whole community last year, but it was identified that some residents had missed out,” Cr Hill said.

“These workshops are aimed at members in our community who may be Deaf or hard of hearing to provide them access to critical information.

“We have acted on feedback from the community, and we want to make these workshops as inclusive as possible so all our residents can easily access the information and resources they need as we prepare for the high-risk weather period.”

SES Northern Region Area Controller Paul Cannon said these Get Ready Workshops are a great opportunity for people to learn how to prepare their home ahead of a high-risk weather event.

“This workshop has been tailored for the hearing-impaired community, so we will have Auslan interpreters present on the day with interactive preparedness demonstrations, live presentations and a BBQ lunch to cap off the workshop.

“Previous Get Ready workshops have been extremely well received by the community, with many participants expressing how much they learned from attending and we hope this tailored workshop will go a long way in making everyone in our hearing-impaired community more informed about what to do during a high-risk weather event,” Mr Cannon said.

The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Get Ready Workshop is on Sunday 8 October 2023 at the Reid Park Complex.

For more information, including how to register, visit What’s On Townsville.