Deaf-Blind is an umbrella term used to describe people who have some form of a combined vision and hearing loss. This dual combination of vision and hearing loss ranges from mild vision and hearing loss to complete deaf-blindness. Living with a Combined Vision and Hearing Impairment (CVHI) or Deaf-Blindness (D-B) is living with a disability, which prevents access to communication, visual and auditory information and travel in various community environments.
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2 female deaf-blind members view large-print-text on a TV monitor as they listen to what is being said at the AzADB meeting. Also sitting on the table is a pair of glasses with a built in telescope and next to the glasses is a magnifer. |
Individuals who have Deaf-Blindness or Combined Vision & Hearing Impairments typically fall into 1 of 5 groupings
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Individuals who are born this way
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Individuals who were born hearing-sighted but have become deaf-blind due to a progressive condition or injury.
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Individuals who were born deaf and lost their vision to a progressive condition or injury
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Individuals who were born blind and lost their hearing due to a progressive condition or injury
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Individuals who are losing a combination of vision and hearing due to the aging process.
People from each of the various groups tend to have a unique set of skills and coping strategies that will naturally require different forms of access to information and communication. This is dependent on a variety of factors such as: background, willingness to learn new communication strategies, comfort and skill with using assistive technologies, and an acceptance of the deaf-blindness in an individuals life. Even in some of the most familiar community environments that a deaf-blind person may spend a great deal of time in, he/she will often encounter serious obstacles that make it impossible for him/her to fully participate. They will often loose access to communication, auditory and visual information and will struggle with travel as situations become more complicated thus requiring specialized support to maintain access.
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A close up picture of a deaf-blind members hands on top of a sign-language interpreters hands. He is using tactile sign-language to access the meeting. |
