Suppose you couldn’t see or hear?
It’s hard to imagine how you would cope, let alone deal with all the daily challenges that life brings. But deafblind people can and do cope, provided they get the right support and people make adjustments for their needs.
There are thousands of customers who are deafblind or have limited sight and hearing who are keen to use your services – and there are all sorts of ways you can help them.
Most of the ways which you can help are quite simple and are not expensive, but they can make a huge difference to the quality of life of a deafblind person.
Who are deafblind people?
Deafblind people come from all walks of life. They could be your next-door neighbour, an elderly relative or the next person you serve. They might be teenagers, married with children, computer programmers or skilled craftsmen – in fact, just about anyone.
Being deafblind means that you have severe problems with your sight and hearing. It does not necessarily mean you are completely deaf or completely blind.
Some deafblind people have additional disabilities such as learning difficulties. Everyone is different with their own challenges to face.
How can I tell if someone is deafblind?
You can’t always tell straight away but here are some clues:
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Some deafblind people carry a red and white cane
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If someone does not seem to hear you speaking or look at you when they speak, they may be deafblind.
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If you see someone communicating in a way that involves a lot of touching (perhaps having words spelled out on the palm of their hand) you can be fairly sure they are deafblind.
