Time: Leaving Sydney 5pm on Friday 27th October 2017 Returning: Mid-late afternoon Sunday 29th October 2017 DEAFBLIND STUDENT WHO 'SWITCHED OFF' FROM HEARING WORLD RECOGNISED FOR COMMUNITY WORK Sent in by Richard Howell after the W.A. – Conference, where Vanessa spoke about her life. She is an inspiration. 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 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."
Time: Leaving Sydney 5pm on Friday 27th October 2017 Returning: Mid-late afternoon Sunday 29th October 2017 DEAFBLIND STUDENT WHO 'SWITCHED OFF' FROM HEARING WORLD RECOGNISED FOR COMMUNITY WORK – Sent in by Richard Howell after the W.A. Conference, where Vanessa spoke about her life. She is an inspiration. 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 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."
Rainbow%20News%20December%202016.docx