Dr Donna McDonald from the School of Human Services and Social Work was the lady of the moment when she hosted a book launch for her latest publication The Art of Being Deaf.

Held at the Avid Reader bookshop in Brisbane’s West End, the event featured presentations from Dr McDonald, as well as top Aussie writer Kris Olsson and CEO of Deaf Services Queensland, Brett Casey.

The Art of Being Deaf looks at the impact that Dr McDonald’s deafness has had on her life and communicates herexperiences to the parents of deaf children.

Parents’ negative reactions

With deaf community interpreters present and talking candidly to a packed house, she spoke of the trials and challenges she has faced throughout her life and her ongoing concern regarding parents’ often negative reactions on first learning that their child is deaf.

“To this day, I continue to be horrified at the extent of some parents’ grief when they learnthat their child is deaf or hearing impaired. With my book I hope that by sharing mypersonal experiences, I can help parents see the potential for the opportunities that lieahead and realise that deafness is no death sentence.”

Brett Casey told the audience that Dr McDonald’s writing underlines the importance of the deaf community to work together to share challenges and experiences for the greater good.

“Heartbreakingly sad but at times also very funny,” was the way the book was described by Walkley Award-winning writer Melissa Lucashenko. “Deaf people – as do others – all need guides and teachers in our lives. In this book, Donna has described the negative consequences of not having deaf role models in her life, but now Donna herself has become a deaf elder. In doing so, she is thankfully, providing a pathway for young and not-so-young deaf people. ”

 

Please also visit:http://app.griffith.edu.au/news/2014/04/22/a-deaf-life/