Number of deafblind people set to explode

The number of deafblind people is set to explode within twenty years reveals a Sense of Urgency, our latest report. We commissioned research to gain an understanding of how many deafblind people there are in the UK. It is the first research of its kind and its key findings are:

• there are currently 356,000 deafblind people in the UK
• this number is set to increase by 60% to 570,000 deafblind people in the UK by 2030
• the over 70s will be most affected (74% of deafblind people in 2030).

The report sets out the current support for deafblind people and implications if they are not supported adequately. Sense is calling on Government’s Commission on Long Term Care to recognise and protect the social care needs of deafblind people, which can be as little as £114 per week (1). Not doing so is not an option as the resultant bill for associated health conditions is unaffordable. Plus many Local Authorities would end up spending much more than the relatively inexpensive support costs in dealing with crisis situations.

Download and view the report or its summary report