What is deafblindness?
People who are deafblind (also known as having a dual sensory impairment) have both sight and hearing impairments. This can make it difficult for them to communicate, get around safely and to acquire information about their environment.
Some people are born with deafblindness; others may be born with an impairment of one sense, and develop an impairment of the other later in life.
Rather than being a combination of two distinct sensory impairments, deafblindess is considered an impairment in its own right, often giving rise to unique challenges and experiences for the individual. Due to communication and mobility difficulties deafblind people may become extremely isolated. This isolation may in turn lead to loneliness and depression.
Our Guide Communicator service provides one-to-one support for people with dual sensory impairment. They provide guiding and communication support to enable individuals to continue to do everyday tasks for themselves such as dealing with correspondence, shopping, attending appointments as well as accessing their local community.
KAB's Guide Communicator Service
Click image to see poster
The purpose of the Guide Communicator Service is to improve quality of life by reducing isolation and minimising risk for people who are deafblind, empowering them to lead independent and autonomous lives. Guide Communicators provide guiding and communication support. All have CRB clearance, are trained and supervised by KAB, and are skilled in different forms of communication, such as:
"It’s so good to have someone who lets me do things for myself. Before I had a Guide Communicator my family felt that they had to do things for me ... I was terrified of losing my independence."
Guide Communicators can help people to:
- Make telephone calls and manage correspondence,
- Budget, and manage home life,
- Participate in social and leisure pursuits,
- Access news, information and technology,
- Take exercise,
- Using environmental aids,
- Use public transport,
- Shop, and check, food sell by dates,
- Attend medical appointments,
- Maintain and improve daily living skills.
Guide Communicators are not able to:
- Help with personal or domestic care,
- Lift people or heavy objects,
- Administer drugs or medicines (although Guide Communicators can help people to self-administer),
- Undertake medical tasks,
- Be responsible for peoples' money.
The Guide Communicator Service operates 7 days a week between 7am and 7pm, and outside these hours by arrangement.
Who could benefit?
Any adult who due to their dual sensory impairment is experiencing difficulty with communication, accessing information and mobility. It is available to people living in their own homes, supported living or residential settings.
Support available
Our staff are trained to provide a service specific to individual need. This may include a professional sighted guiding service; support with low vision and hearing aids; and a wide range of communication such as clear speech, lip reading, block alphabet, deafblind manual alphabet, sign language (Makaton, Sign Supported English, British Sign Language), symbol systems, objects of reference, hands-on and hand-under-hand communication.
"Hannah’s Guide Communicator is an absolute angel, she has made an amazing difference; you can’t believe the change in her."
Assessment
Guide Communicator support can be available following a specialist deafblind assessment - also called a Section 7 assessment - available through your local authority. Alternatively, individuals may purchase the service privately.
Sourcing adequate funding can be a key issue. It is essential that the needs of people with deafblindness are assessed by skilled professionals who understand the complexity and uniqueness of Dual Sensory Impairment. You have a statutory right to such an assessment.
The development of Direct Payments and Self-Directed Support is encouraging as this should herald a new era of opportunities, choice, control and independence for people who are deafblind.
Service availability
The service is available seven days a week. The minimum booking is one, two hour session per fortnight.
Help with Hearing Loss
If you are hard of hearing or d/Deaf and would like help or advice, either contact your GP, or
In Kent help is available from both KCC's Deaf Services Team, or for people aged over 65, HiKent may be able to help.
In Medway contact Medway’s Deaf Services.
In Bromley information is available from the charity Deaf Access or from Bromley Council.
In Bexley, Inspire Community Trust can offer help.
Help with Dual Sensory Loss
Information is available from the national charity Sense at www.sense.org.uk, or for people in Kent, KCC’s website has information about local services.
If you are looking for a sign language interpreter or social club for the profoundly deaf contact the Royal Association for the Deaf. Telephone 01634 280231. Minicom 01634 581033. Fax 01634 281651. If you have little sight and little hearing it is often helpful to ask people to outline numbers and letters on the palm of your hand. Or you might prefer to learn the deaf blind manual. In this case different parts of the hand, when touched, represent different letters of the alphabet. With practise great speeds can be achieved using this method of communication. Ask for the KAB communication leaflet which gives simple to follow guidelines. We have KAB clubs too where you can practise this skill while enjoying a social occasion. For more information contact your local KAB office.
Guide Communicator Service for People with a Dual Sensory Loss
People with a combined sight and hearing loss may experience difficulties with communication, mobility and accessing information. In these circumstances KAB's Guide Communicator Service can help. A Guide Communicator is a person trained to provide guiding and communication support. A Guide Communicator will enable a person to do many everyday tasks for themselves. For example: Go to the GP / hospital / dentist
- Go out safely to access essential services
- Food shopping and other shopping (eg clothes)
- Communicate in groups and one-to-one
- Support using environmental aids
- Make telephone calls
- Payment of bills
- Read and write /type correspondence
- Check labels on medication
- Checking food in storage for hygiene
- News and information update
- Take exercise and leisure pursuits
51 London Road
Canterbury, Kent CT2 8LF
Tel: 01227 379333
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Text: 07754 517711