Representing between 0.2% to 2% of the population, persons with deafblindness are a very diverse yet hidden group and are, overall, more likely to be poor and unemployed, and with lower educational outcomes. Because deafblindness is less well-known and often misunderstood, people struggle to obtain the right support, and are often excluded from both development and disability programmes. This initial global report on the situation of persons with deafblindness seeks to start a dialogue between international disability rights and development stakeholders, and is based on research undertaken by the World Federation of the Deafblind (WFDB) combining the largest population-based analysis of persons with deafblindness conducted to date (disaggregation of 22 population-based surveys from low, middle and high-income countries), an academic literature review, two surveys conducted among members and partners of WFDB and Sense International. Women and men with deafblindness from across the world took part in the Helen Keller World Conference in June 2018, and were consulted to confirm the findings and elaborate on the recommendations for this report.
Data and discussion are presented on people with deafblindess and: inequality; poverty; work; education; health; participation on political and public life; and social life. Datasets are included.
Activities to promote the access of deafblind women and girls to sexual and reproductive health are reported via brief descriptions of what happened, what changed and what worked. Activites included: training the deafblind women in their rights;training relatives of deafblind women, giving advice on general care, as well as highlighting the importance of supporting their sexual and reproductive health choices and promoting family planning; tackling the issue of the forced sterilization; awareness raising via newspapers and radio and improving livelihoods.
This is a report of the Open Ears to Learn project, which was implemented to include hearing impaired children in mainstream schools by increasing their learning participation. The children were identified by screening them for hearing loss and subsequently providing them with hearing aids and making appropriate referrals to special schools where necessary. Children known to have a sight impairment were included in the screening. The project, which was implemented in Mongu , Senaga and Kaoma districts of Western Province in Zambia, also included sensitisation for teachers on the needs of hearing impaired children
This report represents a collaborative effort to research and disseminate replicable approaches that make emergency warnings accessible to people with sensory disabilities (people who are deaf, late-deafened, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, or deaf-blind)
"This book is designed for parents, professionals, and other caregivers working with school-aged children who have combined vision and hearing loss or deaf-blindness coupled with significant developmental delays. It aims to provide them with special methods to familiarize children with sexual aspects of their daily life...Each chapter takes an in-depth look at a particular aspect of developing sexuality for these children: (a) developing sexuality education programs in a school system; (b) teaching appropriate touch and modesty; and (c) instruction about menstruation, masturbation, coupling, sexual health, and sexual abuse. The last chapter includes readings and resources"