Deafblind UK have created a permanent
exhibition showing the history and
heritage of deafblindness and of deafblind people with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The exhibition, opened in September 2004 and is located in the Heritage Room at Deafblind UK's headquarters, the National Centre for Deafblindness in Peterborough.
A pioneering venture, the exhibition is the only one of its kind in Europe, possibly even the world, to focus attention specifically on deafblindness and on deafblind people. It represents a unique and valuable source of information about deafblindness, available to deafblind people, their families and anyone else interested in this disability.
Visitors to Deafblind UK's Heritage Exhibition have the opportunity to investigate a broad spectrum of topics related to deafblindness. Some may choose to concentrate on the achievements of inspirational deafblind people like Helen Keller, while others prefer to explore global developments in the field of deafblindness. Whatever their area of interest, visitors have total freedom to explore the exhibition at their own pace, as many times as they like.
The fundamental aim of Deafblind UK's Heritage Exhibition is to be completely accessible to hearing-sighted, deaf, blind and deafblind people of all ages and abilities.
Educational visits to the Heritage Exhibition
The Heritage Exhibition provides the perfect environment for students to explore a broad spectrum of topics related to deafblindness, which complement many additional areas of the National Curriculum, including history, technology and sociology:
- History - a 'timeline' highlights events of significance, giving an overview of the history of deafblindness.
- Technology - examples of breakthrough inventions, such as communication equipment and Braille machines and adaptations of everyday items like Braille scrabble and tactile dice, which have improved the lives of Deafblind people.
- Sociology - a display area focuses on specific topics, including social responses to deafblindness, inspirational deafblind people, communication breakthroughs, access to education, a global perspective and a section exploring leisure, community and identity.
The exhibition is totally accessible to deafblind people, with information available in large print, Braille, Moon and on audio formats. This reinforces the students' understanding of the importance of accessibility for people with disabilities and will hopefully encourage them to adopt a more inclusive approach.
A 'timeline' highlights events of particular significance, giving a general overview of the history of deafblindness. A central display area focuses on specific topics, including social responses to deafblindness, inspirational deafblind people, communication breakthroughs, access to education, a global perspective and a section exploring leisure, community and identity.
Unlike many exhibitions, where artefacts are closed away behind glass, Deafblind UK's Heritage Exhibition is a real 'hands-on' experience. Throughout their visit, students will be encouraged to try out inventions to really enhance their understanding of the subject matter and make their educational visit a memorable one.
