posted 28th June 2024
Raising awareness of the people with multi-sensory impairment, or deafblindness.
Deafblind Awareness Week is always on what would have been Helen Keller's birthday, 27 June. It's all about learning about what life is like for those who are deafblind, and celebrating the achievements of people who are deafblind.
History of Deafblind Awareness Week
Deafblind Awareness Week marks the birthday of Helen Keller. Born in 1880, Helen Keller was an author and political activist who is well known for being the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Fast forward 144 years and her legacy still lives on! Deafblind Awareness Week is a key event in our calendar and every year, we strive to help more and more people understand deafblindness and how it affects people.
Deafblindness is having both sight and hearing loss that affect your everyday life.
Some people are born deafblind. This is called congenital deafblindness. Others become deafblind later in life. This is known as acquired deafblindness.
Deafblindness is a combined sight and hearing impairment which affects over 450,000 people in the UK. It doesn't always mean no sight or hearing, although for some people this is the case. Deafblindness affects everyone differently, some people need to make small changes to the way they go about everyday life and some people will rely on others for communication and getting about.