Hello
I have copied and pasted the article below about the youth deafblind lady
Vanessa Vlajkovic from Perth WA.
Trudy
Deafblind student who 'switched off' from hearing world recognised for
community work
By Briana Shepherd
Vanessa Vlajkovic has never let her sensory loss prevent her from working
towards the life she wants.
Last year, the 19-year-old, who is legally blind with "inconsistent" hearing,
bravely chose to "switch off" from the hearing world.
Now, Ms Vlajkovic, who is also Edith Cowan University's first deafblind
student, has been named WA's Young Person of the Year.
"I don't believe you should ever let others dictate what you can and can't do,"
she said.
"And I don't think, for even a millisecond, that having a disability makes
you inferior, makes you an alien or less worthy."
Ms Vlajkovic, of Dianella, is an avid cheerleader and has just finished her
first year at university, where she is studying journalism.
She said her first year of study had been daunting, and a learning curve for
herself and the staff, but was worth it.
"I remember the day I found out that my ATAR meant I could go to almost any uni
I wanted," she said.
"The pride I felt when I ran my fingers across the Braille display and read the
words that brought me some of the best news ever.
"It's hard to forget something like that, especially when you have worked day
and night to see it happen."
'Switching off' from the hearing world
While Ms Vlajkovic was born blind, her hearing did not begin to deteriorate
until she was seven.
"I can recall feeling confused during high school because I realised that I was
hearing less and less," she said.
"I had hearing aids to help me get through my days, but it was soon evident
they were becoming ineffective."
Last year, she made a bold choice.
"I feel like I'm always being tugged between two worlds — the hearing and the
deaf," she said.
"Twelve months ago I officially made the decision to switch off from the
hearing world."
She now communicates through 'tactile' Auslan, a unique way of communicating
where signs are formed on her hand through an interpreter.
"It means I receive the full information through touch," she said.
"Like many deafblind I can't judge facial expressions, see head movements or
assess body language.
"I also have a Qwerty keyboard that is connected to my BrailleNote device —
this enables communication between myself and people who don't know Auslan."
Family
Ms Vlajkovic's family's first language is Bosnian and she said her choice to
"switch off" had been hardest on them.
"We communicate predominantly via SMS, although my mum's signing is improving,"
she said.
"It's very tricky because I know, in my heart, that they are never really going
to accept what happened to me.
"My mum had a perfect pregnancy, so my eye and hearing conditions were a
shock to everybody.
"My family wanted me to get cochlear implants when I was 16, but I refused,
preferring to learn Auslan, and I know this has disappointed and upset them."
Ms Vlajkovic said she did not regret her choice, and while she loved her family
and could not ask for better role models, her relationship with them had been
affected by a lack of communication.
"The struggle is real and many a day I feel like crying because I just want to
be able to have a conversation in Auslan with my parents," she said.
"Acceptance is a process, and although it has been four years, I know that it
never gets easier for them.
"I only hope that one day in the future they will realise that Auslan is to
me what Bosnian is to them."
'I'm passionate about human rights'
Being named WA's Young Person of the Year is not the first time Ms Vlajkovic
has been awarded for her inspiring work advocating for the deafblind community.
She was the Deaf Youth Australian of 2015, and has won an International Braille
contest and two VisAbility awards.
Ms Vlajkovic said just being nominated for the youth award was an honour, and
she would use it as a platform to continue advocating for the deafblind
community, with many people having misconceptions about what the term means.
"Being deafblind doesn't mean deaf plus blind, it's actually deaf times blind —
one disability disguised as two," she said.
"No two deafblind are the same, vision and hearing vary vastly.
"The lack of knowledge can be frustrating but really all it takes is some
explaining."
The teenager, who identifies patience, perseverance and resilience as her keys
to success, said she was inspired by creating change for good.
"I'm passionate about human rights and the absolute necessity for all people —
deaf, blind, in a wheelchair or otherwise — to enjoy life at the exact same
level as any person not in their shoes," she said.
"It's important to me that the doubters are proven wrong and that society is
able to understand the very real consequences that their actions, and
inactions, have on people like myself."
But ultimately Ms Vlajkovic said she has a simple dream for her future.
"Be happy," she said.
"Aside from that I would love to travel the world, find myself a suitably
interesting job and continue to compete in one of the things I love most in
life: cheerleading.
"It also goes without saying that I will carry on advocating on behalf of the
deafblind community to see justice rightfully performed."
Ms Vlajkovic was among 16 inspiring finalists up for a number of awards at the
ceremony on Friday night, also winning the Life Without Barriers Positive
Achievement Award.
As WA Young Person of the Year she will have the opportunity to travel
throughout the State to participate in youth-related events and activities.
Other winners included Mark Bird, Brianne Yarran, Courtney Fare and Oscar
Kaspi-Crutchett, who were recognised for their contribution across a range of
sectors.