day services – therapy

Images descriptions: A black and white photo on the left. Two men holding hands together, left side one man – elderly, bald patch on his head, blacktop, face downward looking at his hands while his arms bend. On the right side – a young man facing the elderly man while holding, a grey polo shirt, a watch on his left arm.

Second photo colour on the right. Seven people doing handballs. Grey brick wall in the background, one pink top person, standing in front of the door in the back corner. Two other people standing away from the pink top person in the background. Floor brown with a black and yellow stripe. Two small yellow balls on the brown floor. on the left – a man with bright blue top and dark blue trousers and white shoes, bending down and one arm outstretching to the yellow ball. Second person in blue clothes holding the bending man’s arm looking down the yellow ball. On the right, another two people facing the grey wall – one man in blue clothes supporting the young girl in a blue dress and black trousers.

Wow, a lot of details from two photos, and the reason I typed the description, it is fair to all Deafblind people if they are reading this blog. They share the same way we see the image of any objects, arts, to read the book or watch tv as in equal accessible life for all in the world.

Let learn about how you can improve any technology such as a computer, iPad, laptop, reading on the screen, and making adapted tools for any Deafblind to change to their choice even to communicate.

There is a lack of awareness of DeafBlind people’s needs in the community. For example, I take a Deafblind person to a cafe for a morning tea in Raglan. Inside the cafe, there is no braille menu for this person to read and to know what foods and drinks the cafe prepare for everyone. The problem was the staff have no idea how to prepare for any Deafblind people, the lack of understanding of what the Deafblind people need and not knowing how many Deafblind people in Waikato even in RAglan. Take a look in Napoli, Italy – Napoli il menù in braille.

What about Starbucks?

Photos descriptions: Three Books showed font prints along with braille embossed on a paper. One photo showed wallboard with wordings along with coffee beans as in braille.

Back to Raglan cafe, I have to communicate with this Deafblind person through hand sign language and using a magnifier glass in case. The staff watched us while we go through the menu by doing hand sign language and using a magnifier glass. It was a learning experience for the staff.

Technology –

Tactile sensory equip

Tactile equipment

In a black and blue device, bright blue buttons, silver braille embossed dots while fingers on the dots. The top photo on the right; two hands over a braille device (grey button and white device) on a  brown table. Bottom photo, showing three methods with two red arrows shaped like a pointed tip toward the bottom one device.

Today there are many new technologies around the world and these new technologies making people/children’s lives better and easier. BUT what about Deafblind people/children?

In the past, they use braille on paper or through braille typewriter at home and at schools. Today, there are not many braille typewriter around due to the choices by the Deafblind people/children.

One person, I know and met her regularly though EGL (Enabling Good Lives) Waikato Leadership meetings, she does not use braille based on her choice and she prefers to use screen zoom magnifier/larger font prints on papers. Another lady for she is blind, not deaf and she uses a portable braillenote Apex (and possible voice notetaking in braille APEX). See photo   Description: two hands over braille buttons on the braille note device.

When any Deafblind people/children need a computer, they will have to go through their Deafblind Foundation/Organisation to arrange an assessment before getting a computer/Ipad for their needs. There are several networks that support Blind Foundation where Deafblind organisation is under this umbrella and one of the networks I know called Adaptive Tech in New Zealand. Here is the link if you are in New Zealand – Adaptive Tech NZ

If anyone who is a Deafblind person wish to buy a laptop directly at the Technology shops, it pays to check with the staff who know accessibility software, your needs on using braille keyboard or in the accessibility setting, even audio description. The best product is Apple than Windows because it contains accessibility device settings.

In New Zealand, we have a small network – Deafblind Association and it is a non-profit organisation which they do not receive any funding from our New Zealand central Government. We do have the Blind Low Vision in New Zealand and there are five different areas of specialist services which are Kāpō Māori Aotearoa, Pacific Service, Deafblind Service, Young People Service and Children Service. Note I am involved with the Deafblind Waikato support group because there are several elderly Deafblind people living in the city of Hamilton and the greater Hamilton City.

Here are two links –

Deafblind Association NZ

Blind Low Vision NZ

Finally, this is all I can do on this blog to mark the Deafblind Awareness. One last link and it is very useful for you to watch and read the article by Ai Media.

Accessibility for DeafBlind – A I Media Article