Last month, the Department for Children, Schools and Families issued new guidance to ensure deafblind people are receiving the services they are entitled to.
There are two main types of deafblindness: congenital and acquired. "Congenital" describes when somebody is born with both visual and hearing impairment, whereas "acquired" is when somebody loses some or all of their hearing and sight at some stage in their life
Some people who are deafblind will experience a sudden and total loss of hearing, which can occur as a result of infection or injury. Others will experience a gradual deterioration. Some conditions, such as diabetic retinopathy, where excess levels of glucose in the blood cause damage to the blood vessels in the eyes, can cause sudden blindness. Other conditions, such as cataracts and glaucoma, can cause a progressive loss of vision
The fact that there are so many variations of deafblindness means there is no single treatment for the condition. Instead, a personal treatment needs to be tailored to individual requirements
23,000 - people in the UK have acquired deafblindness
100+ - the number of causes of deafblindness
2 - years is recommended between eye tests
Source: British Heart Foundation
