Saturday, 26 November 2016
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An aspiring journalist, Vanessa Vlajkovic helped establish Deafblind West Australians, an organisation providing support, social interaction and advocacy for deafblind individuals. Presenting the WA Young Person of the Year award at a gala ceremony last night, Youth Minister Paul Miles said what made Vanessa truly inspiring was the fact that she had never let her sensory loss prevent her from getting involved in her community. "Vanessa was born blind, learnt Braille by the age of four and was mainstream schooled. By 16, her hearing had deteriorated and her only communication method was 'tactile' Auslan - the signs formed on her hands," Mr Miles said. "Vanessa is proof that nothing should get in the way of achieving goals. Using her skills and experience, she advocates strongly within the deafblind community to help others realise their potential. "I commend Vanessa for her remarkable achievements and passion for making a positive difference, and I look forward to working with her as an ambassador for WA youth." The Minister said Vanessa was one of five outstanding individual category winners doing great work to make WA an even better place to live. "The Liberal National Government is proud to be involved with the WA Youth Awards, which showcase the energy, commitment and talents of our State's young people," Mr Miles said. "I wish all of the finalists and winners the best of luck, and I hope that they will all build on their success, whatever that may be." Fact File
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