Deafblind Awareness Week

What is deafblindness?

Deafblindness is a condition that affects both vision and hearing. It can affect how a person gets information, communicates and navigates the world.

It’s sometimes called multi-sensory impairment, or MSI for short. 

Every person is different. Most deafblind people have some sight and/or hearing, but everyone’s experience is unique.

Some people are born deafblind. This is called congenital deafblindness. Others become deafblind later in life. This is known as acquired deafblindness.

 Read more about deafblindness in our complete guide.

Meet Joe

Joe is 57 and lives in Sense-supported living accommodation in Birmingham. He’s been a weekly volunteer at Sense TouchBase Pears since the centre opened. It’s the perfect role for Joe, who describes himself as friendly and sociable.

To mark Deafblind Awareness Week, we sat down with Joe to hear more about his role at TouchBase Pears, and how important it is that he’s able to live independently, and do the things he enjoys.

Descriptive transcript for the video

Joe talks to camera wearing a purple Sense branded hoodie.

Well, I’ve got my own flat.

Joe is in his flat preparing food using his microwave.

So, it’s supported living.

We see Joe’s computer and his screen reading software loading, then a photo of Joe standing outside a café.

I get support most days. Somebody’s in for a little while about three of four hours.

Joe talks to camera wearing a purple Sense branded hoodie.

And then my friend Joy who comes over quite a lot. She stops over quite often. Stewart comes round some times for a cup of tea. And my dad used to come on a Sunday and he would come up for a cup of tea.

We see Joe preparing a cup of tea including using his adapted kettle and liquid level indicators.

I love being able to be able to be on my own and things, yeah. I love it.

Joe sits at his desk, enjoying his cup of tea.

Marking Deafblind Awareness Week as we launch our new three-year-plan

We’ve recently launched our ambitious three-year-plan, our promise to transform Sense together and break down barriers alongside disabled people with complex needs, including deafblind people.

Too often, deafblind people face barriers to communication and connection. This Deafblind Awareness Week, we’re coming together to change that.

Find out more about our three-year-plan

Connected by touch: breaking barriers, building bridges

The theme of this years Deafblind Awareness Week is all about touch.

Touch is more than a sense.

For deafblind people of all ages, it can be the primary way they connect with the world around them, build relationships, communicate and develop trust.

From hand-under-hand communication to exploring objects of reference, touch breaks down barriers and opens up the world to deafblind people.

Information and advice for parents and carers

In a ball pit, a blonde boy wearing glasses looks into the face of a woman

Find out more about deafblindness in children, common adjustments, ways of communicating and ways that Sense can support you.

Find out more

Read more stories this Deafblind Awareness Week

Joe is sat behind the reception desk, smiling widely, as someone signs in using the screen in front of him.

Working as a Deafblind Man: Joe’s story

To mark Deafblind Awareness Week next week, we sat down with Joe to celebrate the positive impact he has on our community.
Thomas, a small boy with blonde hair, reading a book in his wheelchair.

Sense found a way of communicating with Thomas that’s as unique as he is

Thomas is seven and has CHARGE syndrome. His specialist support worker Alex explains how Sense has supported him since he was two.
A young woman stands with her hands on hips, wearing her Sense marathon vest.

I didn’t let my disability stop me running the marathon

We catch up with Paige to hear about her experience training for the London Marathon last year.

As a photographer who is deafblind, I challenge stereotypes every day

Ian Treherne is a professional photographer from Southend, Essex. In this blog for Deafblind Awareness Week 2023, he tells us about his love of photography and fighting for inclusion.
Max, a white genderqueer person with green hair, and Ian, a white man with long dark hair, sitting at a table with a laptop.

People who are deafblind respond to five common myths about deafblindness

For Deafblind Awareness Week, three people who are deafblind discuss common myths about deafblindness.
A man with a moustache sits grinning in his wheelchair, his support workers sit either side of him also looking very happy.

How touch unlocks football for Richard, a deafblind fan

Richard uses tactile sign language to follow the football so he never misses a chance to celebrate a goal!

Looking up at Franklyn, never down

Through his climbing sessions, Franklyn has shown everyone the value of looking first at what people can do, not what they can’t.
A man uses a cane to walk assisted by another man holding his free arm

From language to golf, becoming deafblind hasn’t stopped me learning

Simon knows what it’s like to feel excluded and unable to access the world around him. But with support from Sense, he’s broken every barrier.

How many deafblind people are there in the UK?

In 2023, there are over 450,000 deafblind people in the UK. This is expected to go up to over 610,000 by 2035.

Find out more about deafblind statistics in the UK.