The Necessity of Good Support

Making sure sensory loss people in general and  not just the deafblind, have access to the right help, know they aren't alone, and have full information about their disability is so very important to me. I shudder wuith horror recalling how it felt when I first lost use of  my main senses. Depression, hopelessness and desperate are good descriptions. The Health Service failed on several accounts to make the connection and distinction between single sensory loss and dual loss. They failed to offer advice or point me in the direction of the best support.  It was quite some time before a keen practitioner added two and two and referred me to Deaf Action. Despite the name, Deaf Action work tirelessly with the deafblind people as well. It's vital that Doctors and Health authorities improve methods of identifying deablindness and insure people are automatically referred to organisations such as Deaf Action.

Sever benefit cuts are on the horizon and will start taking affect next year

I recently attended a public meeting about cuts to the welfare system and prominently cuts that will have significant affect on disabled people. There's grave concern the message of just how individuals receiving Income Support, Employment Support (high rate), and DLA (low rate), will be affected. There's additional worry that the deaf and deafblind might not comprehend what's happening because of communication problems.

I was able to attend the meeting thanks to my support worker Zoe and the additional help of a Note Taker. They enabled me to follow the discussions and participate, more to the point they ensured I didn't miss vital facts and information that will affect me in future. 

Everyone in receipt of benefits including DLA and particularly low rate DLA will lose out. It's vital that people seek advice now and make sure they have someone with them such as a guide/interpreter and note taker (if used), at any future discussions about benefits. People can no longer afford to miss out on important information that will affect them. 

Deaf and deafblind are not always aware they are entitled to note takers for any sort of appointment, the same applies with emailing local Health Centres to make and cancel appointments. Few Health Centres will promote their emailing or automatically offer the service. It's necessary to request access by email and the more deaf and deafblind who do so the more likely it is to become common place to be offered emailing to the service. It's particularly useful for people with low level hearing and without a text phone.

There's genuine increased risk to the well-being and mental health of sensory loss people in light of benefit cuts. Surprisingly numbers of people committing suicide or suffering sever depression is prominently high amongst the deaf and deafblind section of society. Those with acquired losses and particularly males, are more at risk. It seems no one has the full data of totals but it's expected that forthcoming benefit cuts will create more health problems and leave the most vulnerable at risk. People already struggling to cope with the changes and communication problems of sensory loss will now face additional problems with benefits. 

My hope is that anyone reading this who is deaf or deafblind will seek advice and take comfort in the fact there are other people who understand how they feel, and there are organisations like Deaf Action who will help. I also hope anyone who knows or suspects a friend or family member as being deafblind will also help put them in touch with the right people...