National charity, Deafblind UK, is on a mission to make things easier for people who have sight and hearing loss and this week (22-28 June) is deafblind awareness week.
Director of Operations, Simon Moore said: “Combined sight and hearing loss affects around 400,000 people in the UK, but many people don’t realise that they’re suffering and just struggle on.”
The charity has also produced some guidelines to help people live better with sight and hearing loss. The leaflet, available to download online, suggests some simple and inexpensive changes that people can make to their home, or when out and about, to make things a bit easier for them.
Simon said: “We know that a lot of people don’t want to ask for help, or don’t feel that they need help through our traditional services. But when you have sight and hearing loss of any level, small things can make a huge difference, and that’s what we want to tell people about. Things like changing the lightbulbs that you use or rearranging the furniture to make use of natural light, can mean the difference between struggling and not.”
The charity has also produced some guidelines to help organisations become more inclusive and accessible as they make adjustments to accommodate new government guidelines. These includes simple practical ideas that are easy to implement.
Both documents will be available to download from https://deafblind.org.uk/deafblind-awareness-week/ from Monday 22nd June.
The initiative is being launched as part of Deafblind Awareness Week, which runs from 22nd to 28th June. Deafblind Awareness Week always marks the birthday of Helen Keller. Born in 1880, Helen Keller was a well-known author and political activist who later became known as the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.
More Info
- Deafblind Awareness Week is 22nd – 28th June 2020. More information can be found here: https://deafblind.org.uk/deafblind-awareness-week/
- Deafblind UK is a national charity supporting people with sight and hearing loss, enabling them to lead the lives they want.
- Subscribe to our bi-monthly professional’s newsletter here: https://deafblind.org.uk/information-advice/professionals/
- It is estimated that there are nearly 400,000 people living in the UK with deafblindness today
- Combined sight and hearing loss is a growing issue in the UK, and predictions suggest that by 2030 there could be as many as 600,000 people in the UK struggling with it. This could be the fastest growing disability in the UK, yet many of us don’t realise that we’re affected by it or that there is support available.
- Deafblind UK provides the practical and emotional support that so many deafblind people need, like providing home befrienders, organising social groups, and providing help and advice.
- Deafblind UK (registered national charity no: 802976) originates from the Deafblind Helpers’ League which was launched in 1928 by deafblind people and carers.
- Find out more at: www.deafblind.org.uk
- Twitter: @DeafblindUK
- Facebook: DBUKCharity
