Communicator guide schemes

Communicator guides help people with acquired deafblindness or people who have developed sight and hearing difficulties in later life (sometimes known as dual-sensory loss).

The problems caused by dual-sensory loss can lead to people becoming increasingly withdrawn, depressed and isolated, yet with the right help, deafblind people can live fulfilling lives both at home and in the community. Sense's communicator guide service aims to help people to live as fully as possible.

Communicator guides act as the eyes and ears of a deafblind person and are trained to provide one-to-one communication support and guiding. The communicator guide's role is to provide practical help with every-day tasks such as shopping, dealing with mail.

They also help deafblind people to improve or maintain their independence within their own home and community and can also help people with deafblindness to access services such as doctors' surgeries, shops and leisure facilities.

Communicator guides are seen as a valuable addition to - rather than a substitute for - other services such as home-helps and visits by social workers.

How to get a communicator guide
In some regions, Sense provides communicator guides. They are also provided by local authorities and other organisations.

For more information and to find out about services in your area, contact your regional office.