Nine-year-old Christa Dracopoulos was one of 12 children from Australia and New Zealand who took part in the Power of Speech Awards, held at federal parliament in Canberra last Tuesday.
Christa addressed and impressed more than 150 guests, including the Governor General of Australia Sir Peter Cosgrove and the Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
The public speaking event, staged by the philanthropic organisation the Shepherd’s Centre, is a celebration of the remarkable outcomes possible for children who are deaf or hearing impaired, thanks to the life changing technologies available to them, and the early intervention programs.
Nine year old Christa Dracopoulos, who also speaks Greek, is one of the children who have benefited from the technologies available to them in Australia, thanks to a cochlear implant.
The Power of Speech Event, where six to 12 year old kids participate, aims to prove that hearing loss is no barrier to education, social inclusion and community participation. It also aims to celebrate the outcomes possible thanks to the technology of the cochlear implant, and the world renowned Early
Intervention programs at First Voice, a national alliance of member organisations providing listening and spoken language for children who are deaf or hearing impaired.