Sector Training Activities

Deafblindness – The Whole is Greater than the sum of its parts

Deafblindness is the condition of little or no useful sight and little or no useful hearing. So why is deafblindness not defined as a person who is blind with difficulty hearing or a person who is deaf with difficulty seeing? What is it about deafblindness that has seen it described, internationally, as a separate and distinctive disability in its own right.

This workshop will look at congenital and acquired deafblindness, the differences and similarities in presentation and the expectations for realistic outcomes for children, adults and the elderly. It will provide information about the differences in support approaches, including communication strategies, architectural needs in housing and learning environments, and the involvement of health and educational professionals.

This workshop provides practical suggestions supported by research and international experience. It also provides an international perspective of the person who is deafblind as a decision maker and organisations for and of people who are deafblind throughout the world.

Aimed At

Managers, Health and Education Professionals, Coordinators and Direct Care workers

Presenter

William Green, is an international expert in deafblindness and former Senior Consultant with Lega del Filo d'Oro in Osimo, Italy, an organisation with 45 years’ experience in the provision of services and research around deafblindness. William is the immediate past President of Deafblind International and is on a 3 month visiting fellowship with Senses Foundation.