Sylvia & Helen

Sylvia: My name is Sylvia Lalara and I’m from Groote Eylandt.

Helen: My name is Helen and I’m from Groote Eylandt.

Sheree: You ladies want to tell us about the hearing problems you have?

Sylvia: We can’t hear them talking you know? Some.

Sheree: It’s getting worse or?

Sylvia: Nup.

Translator: She said, she had this problem couple of years back, and it comes and goes, the hearing, And every time her ear beeps that’s the sound of the hearing, like her ear hurts and the sound doesn’t come in, yeah.

Sheree: Is there anything that she’s been able to do to help with that?

Translator: She’s been to the clinic, they checked her ears, but they didn’t find anything or what’s going on with her ears. But she knows there’s something going on, she can’t hear properly, and the beeping comes and goes.

Tammy: Ask her if she struggles to do anything?

Translator: Sylvia said she doesn’t struggle much, like she does want to go out, she said if that thing keeps coming back, she’ll need help. Maybe go back to the clinic, ask for help. Yeah.

Tammy: Does she find anything hard to do, are there other things stopping her?

Translator: Sometimes, she can hear things, sometimes she can’t. Helen says she’s been to the clinic, but her ears are okay, but on her side, she can’t hear people talking, they have to talk loudly so she can hear them and speak back. From the distance, she won’t hear anybody calling put, they have to come closer, so she can hear properly.

Sheree: Do you get support from any type of disability service?

Translator: Helen says no, she doesn’t have any help.

Sheree: Are there things in her life that she’d like more support with?

Translator: She said she doesn’t get help. The support and help she needs is a hearing aid, to help her hear properly. Like the hearing aid, they put it in her ear, so she’ll listen and hear properly. That’s what she wants, that’s her wish. Because she’s been at the clinic and they couldn’t help, yeah. She needs the support, someone should be helping her.