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Tailored service opens doors for deafblindness

It’s difficult for most of us to imagine living with limited vision, let alone also being unable to hear.

The combination of both hearing and vision loss or impairment is known as deafblindness. The effects on people can vary widely, but it can significantly affect communication, socialisation, mobility and daily living.

Last month we had the pleasure of working with Belinda and Alison, who both live with deafblindness.

With the aid of two Auslan interpreters, our Orientation and Mobility Specialists discussed Belinda and Alison’s needs and aspirations, developing a tailored plan to achieve their goals.  Among the program identified was training in sighted guide techniques to improve their mobility when walking with a sighted person; body protective techniques for use inside the home to help prevent injuries; and improved mobility from long cane training when outside the home.

At the end of the program, Belinda and Alison felt a lot more confident in their abilities and were looking forward to feeling safer while out and about.

“I’ve been training for my future,” Belinda said.

“The cane helps me a lot – it keeps me safer and helps me know where I can go. I won’t be worrying as much now and I’ll stop falling over. I feel much more confident walking around.”

We are dedicated to ensuring people seeking help achieve their goals and tailor our programs to ensure individual communication needs and learning styles are met in the process.

To speak to us about how we can help you, please call us on (07) 3500 9060 today.