The Step by Step Website is currently under construction. We plan to have it up and running by May 2000. Feedback we have received about the website so far leads us to believe that this is a very useful strategy for deaf youth for the following reasons:
At the time of writing, we are meeting with a number of web designers to discuss the web site. We currently plan to have 6 main pages on the web site, as follows:
This will include background information about the project, the National Reference Group, the Research we are doing, our Aims and Strategies, Information and Products produced by Step by Step and our Contact Details.
This section contains lots of photos and short interviews with young people from all over Australia who have achieved various things in their lives. The interviews will focus on what these young people have achieved, how they did it, and their advice for other young deaf people.
This section will contain practical information on ‘What is Mental Health’ and ways that young deaf people can work towards building mental health.
There will be two sections to this page. The first section will focus on questions and answers. Visitors can post a question on this page, and other visitors will be encouraged to answer it, from their own experiences. The second section will include database of mental health services that young deaf people can go to if they need help. All services listed in this database will need to be deaf friendly and youth friendly.
This will contain ‘real life’ stories from young deaf people who talk about their life experiences including mental health issues that they have faced and ways they worked through these issues. The ‘My Story’ page will have a heavy emphasis on help seeking, encouraging deaf youth to see that asking for help is a sign of strength, not of weakness.
This page will enable young deaf people to link up with other deaf youth from all over Australia. There are two sections to this page. The first section is a listing of activities that are happening all over Australia for deaf youth, for example, youth clubs, camps and workshops. The second section will be an e-mail pen-pal system so that deaf youth can correspond with each other via e-mail. Comments about the website have been very positive. There has been particular interest in the ‘Deaf Friends’ page – we have included a comment below.
"I am very interested in the penpal and e-mail strategies you are proposing for young deaf people. Our own Magazine Hear & Now frequently generates requests for this sort of service but we have not been sure how to proceed. If you have something in place we would very much like to "advertise" it in our magazine." Jan Whitehead Editor Hear & Now If you have any comments or queries about the website, please send your emails to kchivers@deafaustralia.org.au or kkavanagh@deafaustralia.org.au. If you would like to receive regular updates on the progress of the website as well as other strategies of the Step by Step project, please send us your contact details. |
