Deafblindness is a unique disability. It is sometimes known as dual sensory impairment or multi-sensory impairment and is more than a combination of visual and hearing impairments. Deafblind people may not be totally deaf and totally blind. Many of the UK's 23,000 deafblind people have some remaining hearing and vision. Some, though, have nearly complete loss of both senses. Click here for a paper on the definition of deafblindness.

95% of what we learn about the ourselves and the world around us comes through our sight and hearing. Lacking these two "distance senses", deafblind people find that their mobility, communication and access to information is usually greatly affected.

A person can be born deafblind (called congenital deafblindness) or acquire deafblindness later in life. The needs and problems of the two groups are very different. Sense's specialist support and training helps deafblind people in many different situations develop and achieve a high quality of life.

What Causes Deafblindness?

Rubella in pregnancy was once the most common cause of congenital deafblindness. Thanks to vaccination it is much less common now, but many people who were born deafblind before the vaccine was introduced still need specialist help and care.

Medical conditions brought on by premature birth and birth trauma are now more frequent causes. Rare genetic disorders and viruses result in other infants being born deafblind. In many cases there is no known cause. Meningitis in babies and very young children can lead to loss of vision and hearing at an early age, bringing about similar problems to those faced by people born with deafblindness. For more information on the causes of deafblindness, click here.

There are also many causes of acquired deafblindness. The genetic condition Usher syndrome is a common cause. People with Usher are born deaf or hard of hearing and gradually lose their sight in late childhood. The effects of old age is another important factor. The elderly are actually the largest and fastest growing group of deafblind people.

What Support do Deafblind People Need?

Deafblindness creates special needs that cannot be met by services for people who are just deaf or just blind. In many cases, people born deafblind also have other physical or learning disabilities. This is known as multiple disability and requires specialist services geared towards each person's individual combination of abilities and impairments.

All deafblind children and adults have the capacity to learn and achieve. Unfortunately, without the right kind of help and stimulation, their mental and physical development may be slower than usual. Early intervention with continuing intensive educational support is the key to a deafblind child's future development.

Sense's specialist training helps people learn to use any remaining sight and hearing as much as possible. The capacities of other senses - touch particularly - must be developed to their fullest extent.

Communication can be a significant problem for people born deafblind leaving them with difficulties in developing the basic concepts of language. Intensive one-to-one work with deafblind children helps them understand the human interaction that is the basis of communication. Deafblind people may use symbols, objects of reference, Braille and other communications systems or languages such as Sign Language.