There are specialist voluntary organisations dedicated to helping deafblind people, some of the agencies for deaf and blind people offer services and information to deafblind people.

Specialist voluntary organisations

Sense (the National Deafblind and Rubella Association) is a national organisation that works with and on behalf of deafblind and sensory impaired, multi-disabled people and there families, providing:

Advice and help from birth for deafblind children their parents and families.

Support for families and carers through a network of regional parent’s self-help groups supported by family liaison and advisory officers on matters such as educational facilities and benefits. They will occasionally act as advocates.

Training and awareness courses for professionals, families and volunteers ar regional centres.

Advice, information and support for people with Usher Syndrome and their families through Usher Syndrome Rehabilitation Services in Birmingham.

Residential further education and group homes at three locations, with further provision being developed.

Information through regular courses, conferences and a quarterly magazine.

Sense, Head Office, 11-13 Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London, N4 3SR
Tel: 020 7272 7774
Textphone: 020 7272 9648
Fax: 020 7272 6012
E-mail: info@deafblinduk.org.uk
Web: http://www.sense.org.uk


Sense Scotland Tel: 0141 564 2444; textphone: 0141 564 2442

Sense Cymru Tel: 02920 457 641; fax/textphone 02920 499 644

Deafblind UK aims to enable people with a dual sensory impairment to live full and active lives; to teach and encourage touch-based communication systems; to raise awareness for deafblindness amongst the caring professions, the public and internationally; and to ensure deafblind people’s needs are met in health/ community planning.

Activities include:

Visiting / assessing deafblind individuals

Contributing to individual community care plans

Information and advice social activities

Rehabilitation services

Holiday flats

Independent living accommodation

Linking deafblind people through magazines and newspapers in touch-based media.

Deafblind UK Head Office, 100 Bridge Street,
Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE1 1DY, UK.
Telephone: 01733-358100 Fax: 01733-358356
Email: info@deafblinduk.org.uk
Web: http://www.deafblinduk.org.uk

Other groups

RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind) provides:

Information and advice on facilities and services for deafblind people and their families;

Courses in social and employment rehabilitation for deafblind people;

Residential care homes for older deafblind people.

Tel: 0207 388 1266

Henshaw’s Society for the Blind has a residential and further education centre for visually impaired young adults, many of whom have compound disabilities including deafblindness.

Tel: 0161 872 1234

RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People) provides information and equipment.

Tel: 0207 296 8000

Council for the Advancement for Communication with Deaf People: maintains a register of interpreters for deafblind people. Voice/text: 0191 383 7915; Text/answerphone 0191 383 7195

Other services

Social service departments may also be able to tell you about the services, holidays and training provided by local societies for visually impaired people. Some social service departments have special services for beafblind people such as guide-help schemes

Benefits

Deafblind people are entitled to the same extra cash help as blind people.

FB19 Social Security benefits - a guide for blind and partially sighted people

From your local Social Security office or The Stationary Office, The Causeway, Broadway Business Park, Oldham OL9 9XD

See ‘Addresses’ for full addresses of organisations mentioned in this section