About Deafblindness
Deafblindness is currently considered a low incidence disability. Many health and medical professionals, educators, carers and support providers will require guidance to develop and adapt their knowledge and skills to provide a well-matched service to people with this under-recognised and misunderstood condition.
What is deafblindness?
Deafblindness is present in anyone who is Deaf or has any degree or type of hearing loss and also has any degree or type of vision impairment or blindness. This also includes disorders of visual and/or auditory processing. While a few may be completely deaf and blind, most people with deafblindness have some degree of functional (useful) vision and/or hearing.
In a single sensory impairment, such as deafness, a person will rely more heavily on the sense of sight to access communication and information, perform daily activities, move from place to place and socialise. A person who is blind or has low vision may rely more heavily on their hearing to do these things. In deafblindness each of these senses is diminished, or possibly absent, so even if the person is in a service where compensatory strategies in single sensory disability are understood, this may be of no or limited help to them if they have deafblindness. For example:
- How do I access sign language if I can’t see it?
- How do I learn about the world that most people access through vision and hearing?
- How do I recognise people and find out about what is going on around me?
Causes of deafblindness in Australia
In Australia, the leading cause of deafblindness is aging. However, there are others who are born deafblind or are born blind and lose hearing, or are born deaf and lose vision, or are born hearing and sighted and lose both at some stage or stages throughout their life. They will all have different levels of vision and hearing, different communication and information access requirements and mobility needs. It is possible that a portion of people with deafblindness are diagnosed with intellectual disability or learning difficulty, not because their cognition is affected, but because they have never had adequate access to communication, information, social interaction, day to day experiences and events happening around them.
About SensesWA’s Deafblind Services
Our team of experienced Deafblind Consultants, including experts orientation and mobility, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy, specialise in supporting people who are deafblind. We offer services in communication skills, dual sensory loss support, assistive technology, and awareness training. We also provide a Deafblind Information website and Communication Guide Training to help families, support workers, and educators interact effectively with individuals who are deafblind. Our goal is to empower individuals through tailored support and resources.
About SensesWA’s Consulting Services
Our team of Deafblind Consultants bring expert knowledge on the unique challenges of deafblindness and offer tailored strategies for improving communication, accessibility, and mobility for a more accessible and supportive environment for all.
Deafblind Training
We host workshops that share best practice techniques and skills to support people living with deafblindness. Topics include Key Word Sign training, Communication Guide training, Inclusive Schools Workshops, Deafblind Awareness Training and we also offer customised training to suit your needs.
