Penny was born without obvious disability.  It was first noticed that her sight was limited by the age of three years and her hearing began to fail when she was seven.  She developed difficulties with balance and coordination at thirteen years.  To date, no one has been able to give Penny a definite diagnosis or reason for her unique combinations of difficulties.

Without the benefits of sight and sound, others can communicate with Penny via a special sign language called fingerspelling.  Penny receives information by touch as others spell out the letters of words on Penny's hand.  Penny has received a cochlear implant in recent times and now can hear some speech when background noise is at a minimum.

Penny was required to leave school at seventeen years and took up work in a sheltered workshop making toilet brushes.  During this time, her future appeared bleak.  Without a perceived purpose in life, she suffered anorexia nervosa during her late teenage years.

Penny's determination to study remained steadfast and she completed her secondary schooling by correspondence.  She then went on to university to be the first deaf/blind person in Australia to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree.  Penny did not stop there however.  She returned to undertake two more degrees, including a Master of Education!