Deafblindness is a condition of little or no useful hearing and little or no useful sight. Different degrees of vision loss and auditory loss occur within each individual. Because of this, deafblind people require varied management plans in order to improve their outcomes in areas such as communication, education, work, and general life satisfaction.

According to the Nordic Leadership Forum on Deafblindness, it is a distinct disability, as the impairment of one organ makes it difficult to compensate for the impairment of the other.

The deafblind community has its own culture, comparable to those of the Deaf community. Some deafblind individuals view their condition as a part of their identity.

Types

The medical condition of deafblindness occurs in different forms. A person might be born deaf and become blind at a later stage in life, or vice versa. In any given case of deafblindness, many possible onsets and causes of this condition exist; some happen gradually, others happen unexpectedly and suddenly. The diagnosis of deafblindness could be medically classified into specific types based on one's symptoms and causes.

Congenital deafblindness: the condition of deafblindness from birth, as occurs in rubella embryopathy, and other conditions:

  • Pregnancy complexities
  • Illness, such as meningitis
  • Somatic injuries

Technology

A graphic braille display can be used in sensing graphic data such as maps, images, and text data that require multiline display capabilities, such as spreadsheets and equations. Graphic braille displays available in the market are DV-2 (from KGS), Hyperbraille, and TACTISPLAY Table/Walk (from Tactisplay Corp.). For example, TACTISPLAY Table can show 120×100 resolution refreshable braille graphics on one page.

History

United States

In 1994, an estimated 35,000–40,000 United States residents were medically deafblind. Laura Bridgman was the first American deafblind person known to become well educated. Helen Keller was a well-known example of an educated deafblind individual. To further her lifelong mission to help the deafblind community to expand its horizons and gain opportunities, the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults (also called the Helen Keller National Center or HKNC), with a residential training program in Sands Point, New York, was established in 1967 by an act of Congress.

Canada

Based on the Canadian Survey on Disability 2022, over 2% of Canada's population aged 15 years and over are deafblind (602,160 people). Of the Canadians aged 15 years and over who are deafblind, 52% of them are aged 65 years and over (314,260 people).

The play The Miracle Worker (1959), which was adapted into the film The Miracle Worker (1962), recounts Anne Sullivan's efforts to draw Helen Keller from her world of blindness and deafness.

The Who’s album Tommy (1969) tells one continuous life story about a deafblind mute boy named Tommy through songs.

The Bollywood film Black (2005) featured Rani Mukerji as a deafblind character named Michelle McNally.

The film Marie's Story (2014) relates the childhood and education of Marie Heurtin (1885–1921), a deafblind woman.

Haben Girma, the first deafblind individual to graduate from Harvard Law School, released an autobiography entitled Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law (2019).

Feeling Through (2019) is an American short drama film directed by Doug Roland that was the first film ever to star a deafblind actor (Robert Tarango) in a lead role; it is about a teenager and a deafblind man. It was nominated for the 2021 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.

The Persistence of Vision is a 1978 novella by John Varley describing the life of a blind-and-deaf community.

Beginning in 1922, Helen May Martin (1893-1947) performed across the United States as a concert pianist.

See also

  • Tangible symbol systems
  • Land of Silence and Darkness
  • White cane (used by blind people to assist them in walking)

References

  • The National Center On Deaf-Blindness Official informational website on deafblindness in United States.
  • The Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults Helen Keller Services website catering for the deaf-blind and blind communities.
  • World Federation of the Deafblind Website for worldwide information concerning deafblindness.
  • Able Australia Informational website on deafblindness in Australia.
  • "Haben Girma Homepage" About Haben Girma, the first deafblind Harvard Law School graduate.
  • Deafblind UK is a national charity in the UK supporting people with sight and hearing loss to live the lives they want.
  • Sense is a national charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for everyone who is deafblind, there to help people communicate and experience the world.