Introduction
Your students will receive a warm welcome to the National Centre for Deafblindness, a totally accessible environment that contains design features never before seen in one building. The students will be given a brief introduction to the National Centre and deafblindness by an educational co-ordinator before embarking on their designated activity.
Activity 1: Getting around.
Students are introduced to the location guide (a specially designed tactile map) which helps deafblind people orientate themselves in the building. Using these design features students work in pairs, taking it in turns to guide and be guided around the building. They are asked to locate specific rooms, whilst wearing eye pads and ear defenders.
Note:
This activity could include support from a deafblind person. Once the students have practised guiding they will be asked to volunteer to guide the deafblind person.
What the students will learn
The activity provides students with an insight into deafblindness, a rare but devastating disability. It teaches them how simple tasks are made difficult without two of your most important senses. Students will learn about the different degrees of deafblindness by trying on simulation spectacles and ear defenders. They will learn how to guide someone safely and what it feels like to be guided without their sight and hearing. This will help them to empathise and understand deafblindness, and they will learn how environments can be designed to include people with different needs.
More about this activity:
This activity forms part of the ‘tutored programme’ and can be undertaken on its own or in conjunction with other deafblind awareness activities. It is also one of the two exercises undertaken in the ‘Introduction to deafblindness’.
Contact details:
If you would like to discuss any point of information contained within this leaflet or have additional questions about your visit please contact:
Tel: 01733 358100
E-mail: info@deafblind.org.uk
