Profile

Debra Swann

Ambitious | Independent | Generous | Curious | Gracious
Hometown:
Birth Town:
Childhood Town:
Teenager Town:
Woodville North, South Australia
Maitland, South Australia
Rapid Bay, South Australia
​Victor Harbor, South Australia
Occupation:
Family Support Worker | Social worker (Deaf Connect) 
Project Officer (Can:Do 4Kids)
Counsellor (Karli Health) 
Empowerment Director (Deaf Survivors of Domestic Violence | Swann Therapy)
Access and Inclusion Board with City of Adelaide Council
Volunteering work:
Deaf Writer Participation (Deaf Writers Project) 
Chairperson (Deaf Australia)
Studies:
Master of Counselling and Communication
DV-Alert - Working with Women with Disabilities
Interested in:
​Realistic/Historical Fiction, biography, Bibliotherapy and Poetry
Favourite book/story:
Perfect Stranger - by Kay Schubach
My Sisters Keeper - by Jodi Picoult
The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
The Happiness Trap - by Dr Russ Harris
50 shades of Grey - by E L James
Future inspiration:
To write/showcase the stories about my experiences growing up in a rural town as a Deaf person. 
To write/film short stories about the experiences of abuse as a Deaf person.
Background info:
Growing up in a rural town, thinking I was the only Deaf person on earth, it was not easy to communicate my feelings, fear, and thoughts to those around me as no one was like me. I spent my childhood years just going along with the flow of what was expected of me from others.  As I entered adulthood and met more and more people who were the 'same' as me, my whole world opened up. Because of that, I am grateful for where I am today.  Without my experience, I would not be me.   
​
I'm a Social Worker / Counsellor working in the Deaf sector.  I love my job; challenging and stressful at times.  Ideally, I would love to be able to write from a different Deaf / Hard of hearing perspective and develop programs and resources that would benefit members of the Deaf community.