In recognition of the annual International Day of People with Disability, the Queensland Police Service Accessibility Advisory Network held an event to help increase awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability within the workforce.
Activity displays were set out on tables within Police Headquarters on Monday, December 5, to demonstrate the challenges faced by people living with conditions such as hearing and vision impairments, Multiple Sclerosis and mobility issues.
Long term employee Katrina Garvey, a deaf person, was on hand at the event with her Auslan interpreter to interact with staff members visiting the display.
Ms Garvey has worked for the QPS Forensic Services Group in the Fingerprint Bureau for 22 years, and said she worked with a large number of colleagues across the workplace, despite being deaf.
“I’m pre-lingually and profoundly deaf, which means that from birth, I have never heard any sounds – my mother’s voice, birds singing in the morning, waves crashing on the beach, people laughing out loud, even a police siren – nothing. It is full-on 24/7 silence,” Ms Garvey said.
“I feel things rather than hear things. ‘Deaf’ is a concept that I think is hard to understand for ‘hearing’ people.
“I do have a language that empowers and enables me – AUSLAN (Australian Sign Language). This is my entry into the world. My ears are what I see, and my voice is what I say on my hands.”
Ms Garvey said that being deaf impacted on her ability to do her work, with her manager providing positive support to overcome some of the unique challenges.
“In the QPS my observation is that we always have communication as a first principle, and that’s a challenge for me.
“My immediate manager is so good. He always makes the effort to seek to understand and then makes sure that he is understood. He gives me task assignments and then feedback.
“It takes us both time to do this. Over our time together, it is slowly improving with the AUSLAN.”
With deaf people often at risk of missing out on opportunities for training and promotion, Ms Garvey said she believed the tide was slowly turning and that she would recommend the QPS as a supportive employer.
“For interested deaf individuals and especially deaf high school students, I would recommend the QPS. We are just launching into new waters and what is currently happening in the QPS is exciting.
“I am on a committee for the International Day of the Disabled and also a committee examining inclusion in the QPS. How about that – a deaf person included in discussions. Who would ever have believed it?
“I’ve grown to appreciate that I am capable of more, so I am definitely looking for more professional development. I’m sure you’ll think it’s strange but I’d like leadership development. I would challenge myself with any opportunity for promotion within the QPS.”
To Ms Garvey, the International Day of People with Disability means recognising disabled people not as dysfunctional – just disadvantaged.
“Being disabled is not being diseased. We are different, not duffers. We want to be seen and recognised as part of the normal diverse community in which we live and move.
“The International Day of People with Disability is just one day in our QPS calendar. The real prize is for me to have access to you and you to me without barriers, as part of our lifestyle and work environment.”
Ms Garvey said day to day challenges for deaf people involved being constantly misunderstood by others, who did not seek to understand.
“Always allow for a little extra time to communicate with a deaf person,” she said.
“Gestures are not a substitute language form with a deaf person. Get the AUSLAN app on your mobile – it’s a great bridge builder and it’s free.
“Learn a sign or more a day with your kids and then come to work with the signs and away we go!”
