Treatable conditions
Some conditions that have led to deafblindess may be treatable through surgery or by using medicines. For example:
Accumulated earwax is one of the most common causes of hearing loss and can be treated with eardrops.
If hearing loss is caused by otitis media (an infection of the middle ear), it can usually be treated with antibiotics (see Health A-Z: treating otitis media).
Treatment plan for non-treatable conditions
If the conditions that have lead to deafblindess are not treatable, a treatment plan will be drawn up. Goals of the treatment plan may include:
- Preserving and maximising any remaining sensory functions.
- Providing you with training so you can retain as much independence as possible. For example, you may be provided with support and advice about how to navigate safely in the outside environment, using a cane or a guide dog.
- Teaching you communication systems that you can use to compensate for your loss of vision and sight.
The treatment plan will depend on the exact circumstances of your deafblindness. For example:
- you may be born deafblind
- you may have adapted to being blind, but then start to lose your hearing
- you may have adapted to hearing loss, but then start to lose your vision, or
- you may lose both your hearing and vision as you get older (this is the largest group of deafblind people)
There is a range of equipment that can be used to assist both vision and hearing.
Vision aids
Vision can be improved using glasses and magnifying lenses. There are also everyday items, such as telephones and keyboards, that have been specially designed for people with reduced vision. The Royal National Institute of Blind Pepole (RNIB) has a comprehensive list of equipment that is available on its website, as does Sense. For more information, see our Useful links on the right-hand side of this page.
If you are a computer user, all operating systems have settings designed for people with reduced vision. You can also download free software from the Browsealoud website that will read aloud the text from speech-enabled websites. Many of the major websites and most public information sites are now speech enabled.
For websites that are not speech enabled, you may need to buy additional software to read documents and emails. Both the Sense and RNIB websites provide details of appropriate software.
Most libraries stock a selection of large-print books and 'talking books' (where the text of the book is read aloud and recorded onto a CD). The RNIB also offer a talking-book service, where a wide range of talking books can be delivered to your house for a small subscription fee.
Hearing aids and implants
Hearing loss may be improved with the use of hearing aids. A hearing aid consists of a microphone to pick up sound and an amplifier to increase the sound. Hearing aids are a helpful way of improving communication, but they do not restore hearing to normal.
People with profound hearing impairment may benefit from a cochlea implant. The cochlea is a coiled, hollow tube inside your inner ear that enables you to hear. A cochlea implant transmits sound directly into your ear's auditory nerve through an electrical wire that is implanted into the cochlea.
For more information on hearing aids and cochlea implants, see Health A-Z: treating hearing impairment
Communication systems
There are several communication systems that can be used by deafblind people, which are outlined below.
Deafblind manual alphabet
The deafblind manual alphabet involves spelling out words using special gestures on the deafblind person's hands, for example touching the tip of their thumb to spell the letter 'A'.
Block alphabet
The block alphabet is a simple communication method. Each letter of a word is spelt out in capital letters onto the deafblind person's palm. This is used by a variety of deafblind people, including those who may not be able to use the deafblind manual alphabet.
Hands-on signing
Hands-on signing is a communication method that uses an adapted version of British Sign Language (BSL). The deafblind person places their hands over the hands of the person who is signing. This method is often used by people with Usher syndrome once their vision starts deteriorating, as they have BSL as their first language.
Braille
Braille uses a series of raised dots to represent letters, or groups of letters. A wide range of Braille publications and specially designed computers are also available that allow you to type and print Braille documents.
Moon
Moon is a communication system that is similar to Braille, but it uses raised symbols to represent words, rather than dots.
Tadoma
Tadoma is a communication method whereby the deafblind person places their thumb on a person's lips and their fingers on their jaw line so that they can feel the vibrations of the person's throat. The combination of these two tactile (using the sense of touch) sensory inputs enables the deafblind person to build up a good understanding of what is being said. However, it is not used by many deafblind people.
