It was an opportunity to speak to our issues when Deafness Forum chair David Brady met with Dr Fiona Martin, a Liberal Party politician who was elected as Member of Parliament for Reid (Sydney) at the 2019 federal election.
Before her election, Dr Martin was a clinician for over 15 years and an academic researcher. When completing her PhD at the University of Sydney she recognised the importance of evidence based medicine, as well as the significance of early intervention in all aspects of disability and mental health policy. Consequently, much of her research had focused on early intervention for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, people with intellectual disabilities, improving the accuracy of children’s eyewitness testimony and the important area of resilience, a foundation for good mental health.