Ari Bennett and Tenambit Public School in the NSW Hunter Region quietly made history earlier this year, when the kindergarten student started attending the first deafblind class in an Australian mainstream primary school – established for him on Wonnarua country.
Ari is deaf, blind and lives with cerebral palsy, and his class shares a room with students who are deaf and/or hard of hearing (DHH).
Polly Van Aardt is his teacher, a deaf woman who was already excited to become the first teacher of a deafblind class in a mainstream school in the NSW public education system.
Being deaf is a strong part of her identity and teaching practice, having attended a deaf school in Hong Kong, before embedding this philosophy while working at St Vincent School for the Deaf in South Africa under deaf principal Ingrid Parkin, who prioritised deaf culture, deaf pedagogy, deaf empowerment and school-wide communication in South African Sign Language (SASL).
“This environment empowered me to take initiative and contribute meaningfully, with strong collaboration and mutual respect between deaf and hearing colleagues, and without communication barriers,” Ms Van Aardt said.
“These experiences continue to shape my teaching.
“I prioritise full communication access, inclusive environments, and culturally responsive practices so that my
While in South Africa, she also learned tactile communication approaches, and encountered practices used by Father Cyril Axelrod OBE, a deafblind Catholic priest known for his work with deaf and deafblind people around the world.
When she moved to Australia, Ms Heung took on a position as an Itinerant Support Teacher Hearing, supporting deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students in mainstream schools, before being encouraged to apply for the deafblind class teacher position at Tenambit Public School.
Tenambit principal, Deanne Brown, worked with staff in the Maitland Education Office to establish the class following the staunch advocacy of Ari’s mother Jamie; not an easy task when it had never been done before.
“Deafblind classes exist within schools for specific purposes and having that inside a mainstream setting, I think, just took a little bit of time and a little bit of working as to how that would happen … and what structures need to be in place for that to be successful,” Ms Brown said.
“Now there is a process and a system that other students can look at as a model for accessing education.”
As the world of education and communication opens for Ari, an important learning journey is also taking place for the whole Tenambit school community.
“I support hearing staff and students to develop awareness and understanding of deafblind communication, including Auslan and tactile strategies,” Ms Van Aardt said.
“This helps create a more inclusive environment where Ari is not just present but genuinely included and connected with others.”
One of Ari’s most valuable school connections is his Year 6 buddy, Brock Nunnari.
Within the first few weeks of Term 1, the school prefect had grasped the basics of tactile communication.
“His carers have shown me ways to do it, and I’ve learned a bit of the Deafblind Alphabet that was on the back of the booklet I was given,” he said
“Basically, you run both your hands down Ari’s shoulders and you get to his hands and then make (the shape of) whatever you’re trying to spell on his hands.”
Meanwhile, Ms Van Aardt and the team at Tenambit Public School have continued to build trust with Ari through consistent routines, predictable structures and sensory regulation strategies to help him feel safe and understand his new environment.
“Over time, I have seen growth in his engagement, confidence, and ability to communicate his needs and preferences,” she said.
“I also focus on creating meaningful, real-life learning experiences.
“Small steps are very important, and each achievement is significant.”
