1 November 2010
Helene Ryles, 39, from Sheldon, Birmingham, won the National Deafblind Person of the Year because of the exceptional positivity and creativity she has shown despite being profoundly deafblind.
She was born with a hearing impairment which progressed to deafness six years ago. She also began to lose her vision as a teenager and now has to wear a type of visor because she has developed an extreme sensitivity to light. Despite this, Helene lives life to the full, refusing to let her sight and hearing loss hold her back.
She takes part in activities as diverse as rock climbing, ice-skating and sailing and is a keen artist, attending pottery classes and novel writing. Earlier this year her ceramic sculptures and one of her short stories were selected for a national art gallery exhibition.
Watch the video below of her doing the high ropes course at Go Ape, Birmingham.
