Deafblind Awareness Week: Significance, history and advocacy

Deafblind Awareness Week (June 24 - June 30) is a week dedicated to raise awareness about individuals with multi-sensory impairments, also known as deafblindness. 

This week focuses on learning about the lived experiences of those who are deafblind, challenging misconceptions, celebrating achievements, and finding ways to support and advocate for the deafblind community. 

It also coincides with Helen Keller’s birthday on June 27th, honouring her legacy as a pioneering disability advocate.

Understanding deafblindness

Deafblindness is a disability characterised by the combined loss of sight and hearing, which significantly impacts daily life. 

Being deafblind does not necessarily mean complete deafness and blindness. Most people who are deafblind have some degree of both sight and hearing.

There are two main types of deafblindness:

• Congenital Deafblindness: When a person is born with both sight and hearing impairments.

• Acquired Deafblindness: When a person develops sight and hearing impairments later in life, often due to illness, injury, or age-related factors.

People with deafblindness can lead fulfilling and successful lives with the right support and resources.

Life with Deafblindness

People with deafblindness use various methods to communicate and interact with their environment, such as tactile signing, braille, assistive technology, and support service providers. 

Celebrating Helen Keller

Deafblind Awareness Week marks Helen Keller’s birth anniversary, June 27th.

Helen Keller was an influential author, educator, and disability rights advocate. Born in 1880, Keller lost her sight and hearing at 19 months old due to an illness.

With the help of her teacher Anne Sullivan, Keller learned to communicate using tactile sign language and braille. 

She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Keller travelled worldwide, delivering lectures, working to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities. 

Advocating and supporting the Deafblind community

Here are some ways you can advocate for and support individuals with deafblindness:

• Learn about deafblindness and share accurate information to help dispel myths and raise awareness.
  

• Advocate for accessible public spaces, transportation, and digital content to ensure inclusivity.
  

• Encourage educational institutions and workplaces to implement accommodations and inclusive practices, creating opportunities for individuals with deafblindness.
  

• Offer your time and resources to organisations that support the deafblind community.
  

• Push for the development and availability of assistive technology that enhances independence and communication for those who are deafblind.
  

• Listen to the experiences of the deafblind community and help amplify their voices in public discussions and advocacy efforts.

Deafblind Awareness Week is also a time to celebrate the remarkable contributions to society that individuals with deafblindness have made in various fields such as education, arts, advocacy, and technology.