DeafBlind Advice & Support
DEAFBLIND SERVICES
Being DeafBlind is a unique disability and a devastating sensory loss. It carries with it situations that differ greatly from being either Deaf or Blind.
Services designed to support DeafBlind people are currently based at Shire View (Headingley Lane, Leeds LS6 2DJ). The services provided by coHearentVision offer all kinds of support to the individual, their family and friends and will vary from person to person. It is designed to fit the needs of every individual and not the individual fit the services!
Practical help and support with the every-day living skills that enhance the independence of a DeafBlind person are a top priority. A combination of highly skilled and experienced staff combine with Rehabilitation Officers to deliver this training on a regular and bespoke basis. This can include advice, information and guidance as well as social support and learning new ways of doing things so that independence can be maintained in the home and out in the community. Most of all, coHearentVision provides a safe, welcoming environment where you can be sure of a warm welcome combined with understanding, reassurance and help to get to grips with every-day problems which can make life so difficult and frustrating.
We provide guide assistance for medical and hospital appointments in the city. This means that a DeafBlind person can have a highly trained Communicator Guide to aid their mobility, access to information and communication. This is a tremendous practical help when at the hospital or doctors.
coHearentVision runs a Social Communicator Guide service. This is a fantastic facility which gives any DeafBlind person the freedom to go where they like and enhance their quality of life. It may be a visit to a shop, garden centre, an event or the pub for a social drink. Trips to the theatre or simply going for a walk are further examples of simple pleasures which are often taken for granted by sighted/hearing people. This service is highly valued by its many users and coHearentVision is justifiably proud of ensuring that it continues into the future.
At coHearentVision, our aims include giving every DeafBlind person the dignity and independence that they deserve and the companionship that helps them overcome an otherwise isolated world. One of the ways in which we achieve this is by running three day centre groups each week per week. These groups are very popular, especially amongst our “seniors” and provide excellent levels of social inclusion, a wide variety of activities and the opportunity for peer support where confidences can be shared and issues raised. They can offer a warm, friendly and safe environment where DeafBlind people can get advice, information and guidance on a wide variety of subjects that can affect their daily lives; including advice on benefits and individual entitlements and direct payments. coHearentVision also provides advice on how to use and where to buy specialised equipment designed for DeafBlind people.
Isolation is one of the biggest problems that face DeafBlind people. Imagine a world where you can neither see or hear! Though people in this extreme situation are rare, many of our customers have significant sight loss combined with a severe hearing impairment. We also have clients who have no sight or hearing and have to rely on Cochlear implants rather than standard hearing aids.
Social inclusion is vital and plays a big part in keeping DeafBlind people mentally and physically active. The day centre groups give every individual the opportunity to get out of their homes and interact with like-minded people. Sometimes, the activities can be a simple game of bingo or a music quiz but they provide the stimulus that also makes people aware that their needs are understood and catered for. We have kitchen facilities that are often used for cake baking and similar activities.
coHearentVision caters for all ages and offers Internet/IT training through to a more mature set of social activities for those who prefer a more sedate day out and are happy with the company of their peers! We are really pushing to attract more DeafBlind people, of any age, who want to get to grips with modern technology and Internet access. The world can be opened up for a DeafBlind person, even if they have absolutely no sight via our computer training suite! We have computers and special software that can connect to the Internet and allow access to any of the usual services that a sighted/hearing person can use.
ASSESSMENTS
Do you have concerns about your sight and hearing loss? Are you experiencing difficulties with daily living? If so, contact coHearentVision. An experienced member of staff will arrange a home visit so that you can speak in confidence about any difficulties you may be experiencing with daily living and get valuable advice, information and guidance about our services and support.
To find out more, call coHearentVision on 0113 214 4544 or Contact us
This page was created on: November 16, 2009 and last modified on March 2nd, 2010 at 09:49.
