Deafblind International Communication Network (DbICN)
The DbICN started in 1992 as an initiative of five practitioners working in the field of services for people with congenital deafblindness. The initiators of this project were:
• Anne Nafstad, Skådalen Resource Centre, Oslo, Norway.
• Inger Rødbroe, The Resource Centre of Congenital Deafblindness, Aalborg, Denmark.
• Jacques Souriau, CRESAM, Poitiers, France.
• Marlene Daelman, KMPI Spermalie, Brugge, Belgium.
• Ton Visser, Viataal, Sint – Michielsgestel, The Netherlands.
There were two main reasons to start a 'study group'. Working in the field of people with congenital deafblindness the group members felt dissatisfied that the focus in seminars about staff training focussed more on management aspects and less on the content of the work itself. The group also wanted to re-think accepted concepts about the development of social interaction and early communication in people with congenital deafblindness.
The group began by studying literature coming from outside the field looking for general accepted theoretical concepts with regard to the development of social interaction and early communication. They quickly began to analyse video tapes of developing social interaction and early development of communication in persons with congenital deafblindness. In analysing these tapes the practitioners tried to establish which of the generally accepted models in child evelopment were useful as a theoretical framework in relation to their own work.
Throughout the period 1993–1996 the DbICN focused on the topic 'development of social interaction in people with congenital deafblindness'. During 1996–1999 the focus evolved into 'the development of a first vocabulary in people with congenital deafblindness'. The group focused on how the body expressions can create a base for both partners to engage in negotiations of shared meaning and a first shared vocabulary.
Over 2000 and 2001 the main research focus was the implementation of the new concepts developed in the previous six years. In 2001, representatives of different countries shared their experiences in working with the new concepts and theoretical framework in a seminar which took place in Paris.
In 2003 the DbICN expanded with the addition of two new members; Marleen Janssen, University of Groningen, the Netherlands and Flemming Ask Larsen, Skådalen Resource Centre, Oslo, Norway.
In April 2006 and in collaboration with Nordisk Uddannelsescenter for Døvblindepersonale (the Nordic staff training centre for deafblind services) a conference on 'Co–creating Communication' took place in Oslo, Norway. The central themes of this conference reflected the key strands of the DbICN’s work since 2001. They were:
• models from cognitive semiotics used to support the understanding of the processes of meaning making in conversations with deafblind persons.
• meaning potentials in spontaneous gestures.
• dialogicality as the intrinsic way human beings share feelings and thoughts.
Additionally, two other projects have recently emerged from the work in the communication network and both projects are closely related to the studies of the group:
• In September 2006 a masters programme on 'communication and congenital deafblindness' began at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands.
• 'Viataal' in the Netherlands and The Danish Resource Centre of congenital deafblindness have initiated a joint project with the objectives of producing teaching materials for parents and staff working in the deafblind field. Four booklets and DVDs will be developed on communication and deafblindness. The content of these booklets will be based on the work of the DbICN, and the DVDs will illustrate the concepts described in the booklets.
Lastly, the congenital deafblindness conference in England in October 2008 organised by DbICN and Sense will address four key aspects of human communication:
• Dialogicality
• Joint Attention
• Gestures and Mimetics
• Languages
Each aspect will be addressed by two lecturers: one who is an eminent specialist in the area of study and one from the field of Deafblindness. On each of these topics, new insights are expected to emerge by bringing together the latest scientific developments and current practice in work around congenital Deafblindness.
