Deaf-blind Awareness Week is observed during the last week of June each year and is designed to raise awareness about people who are deaf-blind.
The awareness week aims to promote a better understanding of the challenges faced by Deaf-Blind individuals and to celebrate their unique abilities and contributions to society.
During this week, various organizations and advocates host events and activities to increase public awareness and promote inclusivity and accessibility for Deaf-Blind individuals.
This year’s campaign celebrates the strengths and contributions of members of the Deaf-Blind community at work.
The goal of the awareness week is to raise awareness of the struggles Deaf-Blind people encounter and to honour their special skills and impact on society.
Throughout the week, different groups and supporters organize events and activities to raise awareness and encourage inclusiveness and accessibility for Deaf-Blind individuals. This year’s initiative honours the abilities and impacts of Deaf-Blind individuals in the workplace.
Raising awareness about deaf-blindness, which refers to the combination of vision and hearing impairment, can bring many benefits to individuals and society as a whole. Education and increased awareness help people to better understand the experiences and challenges faced by individuals with deaf-blindness, leading to greater empathy and support.
Education and understanding are vital for increasing acceptance and promoting empathy towards individuals with disabilities like deaf-blindness. By learning about the unique experiences and struggles of those who are deaf-blind, people can gain a deeper appreciation for their resilience and strength, and become more supportive of efforts to improve their quality of life.
For instance, representation in Media: Seeing deaf-blind characters portrayed in movies, TV shows, and other forms of media can help people recognize and understand the challenges and accomplishments of individuals with deaf-blindness.
Improve accessibility: Awareness campaigns can lead to the development of more accessible environments and technology, making it easier for people with deaf-blindness to fully participate in daily life.
Generally, raising awareness about visual impairments and blindness is an important part of promoting inclusivity and accessibility in society. Many people who are blind or visually impaired face unique challenges and barriers, including difficulty navigating public spaces, accessing technology, and finding employment opportunities.
Yes, accessibility is another critical factor that is often enhanced through increased awareness about deaf-blindness. When more people recognize the unique needs of those with deaf-blindness, it can spur the development of innovative solutions that make everyday tasks more manageable.
Touchable Sign Language: Tactile signing is a form of communication that combines traditional sign language with physical touch, allowing deaf-blind individuals to understand and respond to conversations with sighted individuals. Greater awareness about tactile signing can lead to more widespread use and acceptance of this vital communication tool.
Utilizing media to raise awareness about deaf-blindness is a powerful strategy for promoting understanding and acceptance among the general public.
Here are some advantages:
Broad Reach: Media allows for messages about deaf-blindness to reach a wide audience, beyond just those who are directly impacted. This can help to educate people about the unique needs and experiences of individuals with deaf-blindness, increasing empathy and support.
Engaging Storytelling: Media like movies, television, and podcasts can tell compelling stories about deaf-blind individuals and their lives, helping to humanize their experiences and break down stereotypes
People who are deaf-blind are likely to have significant communication difficulties, and as a result can often experience barriers to being included in community activities and networks. This can lead to social isolation, and if not addressed, mental health issues.
The experience for someone who is deaf-blind, which may include all types and degrees of dual hearing and vision loss, can be isolating and restrictive. Consumers are available to tell their stories to the media and explain how having the support of Intervener Services helps people who are deaf-blind achieve their full potential.
In 2018 Helen Keller World Conference, the World Federation of the Deaf-Blind (WFDB) global report 2018 of persons with deaf- blindness and inequality presented their finds to WFDB to their members. Women and men with deaf-blindness enrich the information with their personal experiences and elaborated on the recommendations.
One of WFDB recommendation is conducting additional research on the issues facing persons with deaf-blindness, inkling health status and access to healthcare, social participation and wellbeing, quality of work and education, causes, and age of onset. Undertake impact evaluations of interventions designed to improve inclusion.
A child with deaf-blindness in Africa usually lives like outcast. Limited child health care services means that parents do not usually notice that their child has a combined sight and hearing loss. If they happen to detect both impairments, at later stage the child will suffer the consequences of their misconception about their disability. Lesotho is among 75 national and associate member organization.
Today[U1] , there are 2.4 million people who are Deaf-Blind in the United States. Currently, there are 2.4 million individuals in the United States who have both a visual and hearing impairment. Deaf-blind Awareness Week is observed each year in the last week in June, in honour of Helen Keller’s Birthday on June 27th.