“I was left to stand in the shallow end of the school pool every week for a year. I never did learn to swim. There was absolutely no attempt to accommodate my hearing loss.” Asia, Deafblind UK member
“I was left to stand in the shallow end of the school pool every week for a year. I never did learn to swim. There was absolutely no attempt to accommodate my hearing loss.” Asia, Deafblind UK memberFor many, their school days are some of the best days of their lives - forming friendships, sparking passions, and learning skills that will last a lifetime. But sadly, experiences like Asia’s are all too common for young people with deafblindness.
She was in Year 5 when, like in many schools, her class had a weekly swimming lesson. Asia struggled to hear without her hearing aids and could not wear them in the pool, so she was excluded from taking part.
Instead, she simply stood and watched every week while her classmates were taught how to swim. She recalls it being one of the ‘toughest times’ in her childhood.
Deafblind UK’s Children and Young People service (CYP) aims to build a world in which every young person can thrive, empowered by equity to enjoy a positive education and grow into the person they want to be.
Breaking down the barriers to success
A poor understanding of deafblindness amongst classmates and education staff can lead to feelings of isolation and low self-esteem, and in turn impact a child’s attainment and life prospects into adulthood. Deafblindness in itself does not affect a child’s potential or ability to learn. However, recent studies have found that young people with deafblindness are experiencing an average attainment gap greater than a whole grade at GSCE when compared to their peers.
Meet our CYP Lead, Carolyn Greig. With over 30 years of experience working with children, parents and education settings, she explains how Deafblind UK are supporting young people, like Asia, at every step of their journey with deafblindness:
“It is so important that young people have the support they need to enable them to succeed through their formative years. That’s why we have brought together all our key services into a comprehensive programme that offers advice and practical support for anyone aged 0 – 25."
"Whether it is creating safe, accessible online spaces to forge friendships with peers through our “Virtual Club” or providing deafblind awareness training for schools, colleges and universities, to assistive technology drop-in sessions and employability support. My team aims to enable deafblind children at every stage of their development.”
With your support, we can break down the barriers that are preventing young people with deafblindness from achieving their full potential.
And it isn’t just children who are impacted by these barriers. The parents of deafblind children, or parents who are deafblind themselves, tell us that the obstacles they or their children face leave them feeling frustrated, ostracised, and unheard. Deafblind UK’s Parent Support Groups are hosted by specially trained staff and allow parents to share their experiences and understand that they are not alone.
“I wish there had been a group like this when my girls were young. Having a child with any kind of disability can be extremely isolating and I feel that the support and kindness of this group is going to help many more families going forward.” - Parent
Supporting every child
However large or small, your gift will make such a difference and ensure that children affected by dual sensory loss are supported to flourish and achieve their goals in all aspects of their young lives.
How you can help:
- £20 could enable us to provide an assistive technology drop-in session, helping deafblind children to access the information they need to thrive.
- £35 could fund a virtual Parent Support Group, giving parents a safe space to share their experiences and know that they are not alone.
- £50 could provide a deafblind awareness session, educating teachers and students about the ways they can support those who are deafblind in their school.
- £100 could enable us to answer 20 more calls to our free Deafblind UK helpline.
Discover Deafblind UK's Children and Young People Service
If your child is affected by deafblindness, or if you are a deafblind parent, we can give you and your family specialist support at each stage of your child’s development. We also support schools, colleges, universities and employers to make sure children and young people who are affected by deafblindness have the best possible start in life.
Click here to learn more about Deafblind UK's Children and Young People Service
Or, contact our helpline or reach us via text or email:
- Helpline: 0800 132 320
- Text us: 07903 572 885
- Email: [email protected]