Stories & Testimonies

Thanks to you, my mum, sister and I have been going along to the signing classes at KDEC. It has been a fun journey and we’re picking it up as well as meeting new people. Thanks again for getting that all started."

Once someone asked me why I attended a Deaf event, and before I could reply they said, ‘it is to learn NZSL’ – and that is certainly a bonus… but I didn’t like to say that the real reason was to find a place to park my heart, and to belong.

Our family has been members with APODC for nearly 14 years now. When we first joined APODC it meant a lot to our family because we finally found a space where we could belong, and attend events irrespective of our children's multiple and complex needs. Most parent groups were hard to fit into, because Khushru is not only deaf, but also has ASD, ID and a genetic syndrome. However, APODC was just such a welcoming space to meet other families and share our experiences, we never felt out of place.
Attending the free events was an absolute bonus, especially in the early years as I had to stop working to attend the endless appointments and therapy sessions. Once my boys were older, and as a family we were well established with appropriate supports and resources for our children, I volunteered onto the committee and decided it was time to give back to the organization that gave us so much. Over the years it has been amazing to watch the organization grow and help other families connect with each other. I think the importance and value of families sharing their expertise and giving a sense of hope to each other, should never be underestimated.

What a great circle of support! Thank you for everything.

To get the opportunity to meet other families like ours has been so helpful to everybody. We've been able to share our experiences and learn from each other.

APODC is just wonderful. It's so good to meet people who know what it's like to have a deaf kid. The APODC family is a good place to meet new people, and get out and about. The kids meet other deaf kids too.

Families were friendly and welcoming to us, which was lovely as it made us feel really comfortable. Lovely to meet other kids who have hearing impairments - nice to see how well they are doing, to chat to families with some similar experiences to us, cool to see sign in action, and we believe it will be great for Esme when she's older so she knows other kids like her in this way.

It's been so great to meet other families and share our journies, my daughter really loves being social; and she always enjoys the opportunity to meet up with the other children.