Deafblindness

{{Prose|date=March 2018}}

The medical condition of deafblindness occurs in different forms. For some, this condition might happen congenitally from birth as a result of genetic defect, for others it happens suddenly due to a form of illness or accident that results in a modality deprivation of either vision or hearing, or both.{{Cite news|url=https://www.deafblindinformation.org.au/about-deafblindness/causes/conditions-syndromes/|title=Conditions/Syndromes {{!}} Deafblind Information|work=Deafblindness Support Services|access-date=2018-03-27|language=en-US}} A person might be born deaf and become blind at a later stage in life, or vice versa. In any given case of deafblindness, many possible onsets and causes of this condition exist; some happen gradually, others happen unexpectedly and suddenly.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/deafblindness/causes/|title=Causes|website=nhs.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-03-27}} The diagnosis of deafblindness could be medically classified into specific types based on one's symptoms and causes.

The two overarching types of deafblindness are congenital and acquired.{{Cite book|url=http://documents.nationaldb.org/products/etiologies2001.pdf|title=Etiologies and Characteristics of Deaf-Blindness|last1=Heller|first1=Kathryn|last2=Kennedy|first2=Cheryl|publisher=National Center on Deaf-Blindness}}{{rp|36–74}}

Congenital deafblindness: the condition of deafblindness from birth

• Pregnancy complexities{{rp|50–67}}
• Effects of alcohol/drugs
• Fetal alcohol syndrome
• A result of prematurity
• Causes from illness/infection
• Rubella
• AIDS
• Cytomegalovirus
• Congenital syphilis
• Toxoplasmosis
• Genetic conditions (evident from birth){{rp|37–49}}
• Anomalies/syndromes (numerous genetic defects may contribute to one's medical condition of deafblindness, of which some of more well-known syndromes are listed)
• CHARGE syndrome
• Cochleosaccular degeneration with progressive cataracts
• Down syndrome
• Marshall syndrome
• Congenital rubella syndrome
• Stickler syndrome
• Trisomy 13

Acquired deafblindness: condition of deafblindness developed later in life

• Genetic conditions (evident at a later stage in life){{rp|37–49}}
• Usher syndrome
• Alport syndrome
• Age-related loss of modality (vision or auditory or both){{Cite web|url=https://www.helenkeller.org/hknc/common-causes-0|title=HKNC: Common Causes of Combined Vision and Hearing Loss|website=www.helenkeller.org|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-27}}
• Illness, such as meningitis
• Somatic injuries{{rp|68–74}}
• Brain damage/trauma
• Stroke
• Permanent physical damage (relating to vision or hearing)

Deafblind people communicate in many different ways as determined by the nature of their condition, the age of onset, and what resources are available to them. For example, someone who grew up deaf and experienced vision loss later in life is likely to use a sign language (in a visually modified or tactile form). Others who grew up blind and later became deaf are more likely to use a tactile mode of spoken/written language. Methods of communication include:

• Use of residual hearing (speaking clearly, hearing aids, or cochlear implants) or sight (signing within a restricted visual field, writing with large print)
• Tactile signing, sign language, or a manual alphabet such as the American Manual Alphabet or Deaf-blind Alphabet (also known as "two-hand manual") with tactile or visual modifications
• Interpreting services (such as sign-language interpreters or communication aides)
• Communication devices such as Tellatouch or its computerized versions known as the TeleBraille and Screen Braille Communicator.
• Tadoma, a tactile modality
• Square script, a method of writing along tactile guidelines
• Protactile, a tactile language related to American Sign Language in the Francosign language family

Multisensory methods have been used to help deafblind people enhance their communication skills. These can be taught to very young children with developmental delays (to help with pre-intentional communication), young people with learning difficulties, and older people, including those with dementia. One such process is Tacpac.

Deafblind people often use the assistance of people known as support-service providers (SSPs), who help the deafblind with tasks such as routine errands, guiding the deafblind through unfamiliar environments, and facilitating communication between the deafblind person and another person.{{cite web|title=What is a SSP?|url=https://www.helenkeller.org/hks/what-ssp|publisher=Helen Keller National Center|access-date=4 May 2021}}

A graphic Braille display can be used in sensing graphic data such as maps, images, and text data that require multiline display capabilities such spreadsheets and equations. Graphic braille displays available in the market are DV-2 (from KGS{{cite news|url=http://www.kgs-jpn.co.jp/ | title=Home of KGS Corporation|publisher=KGS Corporation}}), Hyperbraille,{{cite news|url=http://www.hyperbraille.de/?lang=en | title=Hyperbraille|publisher=Hyperbraille}} and TACTISPLAY Table/Walk (from Tactisplay Corp.{{cite news|url=http://www.tactisplay.com/ | title=Home of Tactisplay Corp.|publisher=Tactisplay Corp.}}). For example, TACTISPLAY Table{{cite news|url=http://www.tactisplay.com/product/tactisplay-table | title=Full Page Braille Display being Launched by Tactisplay Corp.|publisher=Tactisplay Corp.}} can show 120*100 resolution refreshable braille graphics on one page.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olm3BwNbMq4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/olm3BwNbMq4| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=This video shows operation of the device.|website=YouTube |access-date=Sep 10, 2020}}{{cbignore}}

The play The Miracle Worker (1959), which was adapted into the film The Miracle Worker (1962), recounts Anne Sullivan's efforts to draw Helen Keller from her world of blindness and deafness.{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246786/?ref_=ttmi_tt |title= The Miracle Worker (2000) |publisher=imdb.com |access-date=2017-12-23}}

The Who’s album Tommy (1969) tells one continuous life story about a deafblind mute boy named Tommy through songs.{{fact|date=February 2023}}

The Bollywood film Black (2005) featured Rani Mukerji as a deafblind character named Michelle McNally.{{fact|date=February 2023}}

The film Marie's Story (2014) relates the childhood and education of Marie Heurtin (1885–1921), a deafblind woman.{{fact|date=February 2023}}

Haben Girma, the first deafblind individual to graduate from Harvard Law School, released an autobiography entitled Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law (2019).{{cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/deafblind-trailblazer-haben-girma-has-a-vision-of-inclusion-11564761224 |title=Haben Girma Is a Trailblazer for the Deaf and Blind |date=2019-08-02 |last1=Bobrow |first1=Emily |publisher=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=2020-11-07 }}

Feeling Through (2019) is an American short drama film directed by Doug Roland that was the first film ever to star a deafblind actor (Robert Tarango) in a lead role; it is about a teenager and a deafblind man. It was nominated for the 2021 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.{{cite web |url=https://patch.com/new-york/midtown-nyc/new-film-features-first-deaf-blind-actor-lead-role |title=New Film Features First DeafBlind Actor in a Lead Role |first=Angela |last=Zapke |date=2019-11-29 |accessdate=2021-03-15 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9280166/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm |title=Feeling Through 2019 Full Cast and Crew |website=IMDb |accessdate=2021-03-15 }}

The Persistence of Vision is a 1978 novella by John Varley describing the life of a blind-and-deaf community.

• Tactile signing
• Tangible symbol systems
• Land of Silence and Darkness
• Tommy (rock opera)
• White cane (used by blind people to assist them in walking)

{{Reflist}}

• {{commons category-inline}}
• [https://nationaldb.org/ The National Center On Deaf-Blindness] Official informational website on deafblindness in United States.
• [https://www.helenkeller.org/hknc/ The Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults] Helen Keller Services website catering for the deaf-blind and blind communities.
• [https://www.wfdb.eu/ World Federation of the Deafblind] Website for worldwide information concerning deafblindness.
• [https://ableaustralia.org.au/ Able Australia] Informational website on deafblindness in Australia.
• [http://www.habengirma.com/ "Haben Girma Homepage"] About Haben Girma, the first deafblind Harvard Law School graduate.
• [https://deafblind.org.uk/ Deafblind UK] is a national charity in the UK supporting people with sight and hearing loss to live the lives they want.
• [https://www.sense.org.uk Sense] is a national charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for everyone who is deafblind, there to help people communicate and experience the world.

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Category:Deaf culture