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Tutoring Deafblind Students
Developed by Art Roehrig, Office for Students With Disabilities

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Interacting with Deafblind People

  • To get a deafblind person's attention, gently touch the person on the arm or shoulder, wait to be acknowledged, and identify yourself; do not assume that a deafblind person knows who you are.

  • Learn to use whatever means of communication the deafblind person prefers. If you know another method that might be helpful, share that information.

  • Express yourself in a natural way; softening or exaggerating your gestures may result in confusion.

  • Express yourself clearly and make sure that your message is understood. Summarizing important points at the end of a conversation is often helpful.

  • Always inform the deafblind person of your whereabouts and when you intend to leave the immediate area.
  • If others are present, let the deafblind person know their locations. Alert him or her to opportunities to enter conversation without interrupting others.

  • If you move an object in the immediate environment - a glass of water, a chair, etc. - let the deafblind person know. This can prevent accidents and confusion.

  • When walking with a deafblind person, offer your elbow or shoulder as a guide. Hold your guiding arm close to your side to provide a stable area of contact and walk slightly ahead of the deafblind person. Pause slightly to indicate that you have arrived at stairs or curb.

  • You can learn more about interpreting and guiding by seeking suggestions of the deafblind people, observing their reactions in various situations, and consulting books on the subject.

Mobility

  • Deafblind people can increase their mobility through the use of walking canes, special transportation services, guide dogs, and personal guiding services.

  • Transportation services provide deafblind people with a vital link to activities and services in their communities.

  • With assistance, many deafblind people are able to use taxis, public transportation, airplanes, and trains.

Communication

  • Deafblind people use a variety of communication methods,depending on the:
    • degree of hearing/vision loss
    • age at onset of hearing/vision loss
    • situation or setting

  • Blind people who lose hearing after they have learned to speak may be able to continue express themselves through speech, but often they must learn a new mode for receiving language.

  • Deaf people who lose vision after learning sign language can continue to express themselves through signing, but must learn to receive language tactilely or in a modified form.

  • Other methods of communication used by deafblind people include reading and writing in braille or large print, and the print-on-palm method, in which one communicates with a deafblind person by tracing shapes of letters in his or her palm.

  • Assisitive technology allows deafblind people to use computers and telephones and to converse with people unfamiliar with more specialized methods of communication.

  • Interpreting services can greatly expand deafblind people's access to social, recreational, educational, and cultural events and community services such as counseling, medical care, and vocational training.
LINKS
image of a red dot Deaf Blind Information (The Internet Low Vision Society)
image of a red dot What it means to be DeafBlind (the Swedish National Association for Deaf, Hearing Impaired, and Language Impaired Children (DHB))
image of a red dot Terminology - Deafblind, Deaf/Blind or Deaf-Blind? (A Deafblindness Web Resource)
image of a red dot Deafblindness - Deafness/Hard of Hearing (About.com)
Updated January 21, 2005
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