Are all people who are deafblind totally blind and totally deaf?
Most people who are deafblind can hear and see something. Unlike people who are Deaf they cannot compensate by using their sight. And unlike people who are visually impaired or blind they cannot compensate by using their hearing. Many people described as deafblind can recognise familiar sounds, might understand some speech, and may be able to speak themselves – especially if they became deafblind later in life. Others have enough sight to see and move around in surroundings they are familiar with, recognise people they know, see people signing to them if up close, and perhaps read large print. So the term ‘deafblindness’ covers a range of impairments to both senses. This is one of the reasons why every person’s experience of deafblindness is unique.
