How can a person be both blind and deaf?

Some people are deaf or blind, according to their abilities they have different ways of communicating and doing activities. Even though they are different, they can still carry out their activities independently. However, some people not only experience blindness or deafness, but experience both of these conditions at once, it is called deafblindness or blind and deaf. How can a person be both blind and deaf? Check out the reviews below.

What is deaf blind?

Deaf blindness is a combination of visual and hearing impairment that affects a person's ability to communicate, access information and move. This condition is also called dual sensory loss or lose multiple sensory abilities.

Blind and deaf people are usually not completely deaf and blind. Most people who experience this have residual hearing or vision. Even though they still exist, they still need special methods to communicate because they cannot capture images and sounds clearly.

There are two types of deaf blindness, namely:

• Congenital deafblindness is a term used when someone is born with vision and hearing problems. This disorder can be congenital due to genetic problems or complications of pregnancy.
• Acquired deafblindness is a term used when a person experiences vision and hearing loss that occurs later in life. Anyone can become deaf blind at any time due to illness, accident, or as a result of aging.

What causes someone to be blind and deaf?

Many factors can cause a person to be blind, deaf. From birth to parents can experience this condition.

When pregnant:

• Pregnant women who have a viral infection or disease affecting the developing fetus.
• Certain syndromes that are passed from parent to child.
• Chromosomal disorders that occur during early fetal development.
• Injury or complications to pregnant women that affect the fetus while it is in the womb.

Complications during childbirth:

• The child is born very prematurely.
• A neurological condition that predisposes to trauma during birth.

Conditions after birth or during childhood:

• Genetic conditions that may appear new during the developmental stage.
• Autoimmune disease.
• Pain caused by viruses as a child.
• Injury to the eyes and ears.
• Have a brain injury.

Adult conditions:

• Injury to the eye, ear, or brain.
• Autoimmune conditions that arise as adults.
• The aging process.

The symptoms that occur in the blind, deaf

Reporting from the NHS Choices page, some of the symptoms that arise in deaf blind people are:

• Didn't hear you speak. Especially when you speak from the back side.
• Tune television or music aloud.
• Difficulty following a conversation, especially if there are several people talking or the person they are talking to is unknown.
• Do not hear sounds around them, such as knocking on doors or bells.
• Difficulty recognizing people they know.
• Difficulty reading the facial expressions of the other person.
• Always rely on touch to find and recognize an object.
• It's hard to move around unfamiliar places. Examples are frequent tripping or crashing in public places.
• Do not look directly at the other person with proper eye contact.

How do blind and deaf people communicate?

Because of his condition, people who are blind and deaf have a special way to communicate. This method varies from person to person, depending on their combined visual and auditory abilities, their family background, and their education. From several available methods, blind and deaf people rely on the ability of their senses (skin) to obtain information and communicate. There are several methods used, including:

• Tactile sign language. The message is conveyed by means of a special gesture on the palms of the hands of the blind, deaf. There is also a manual alphabet affixed to the hands of people who are blind and deaf. That way, they can understand the message conveyed from the sense of touch (skin) on their hands.
• There are also those who use tadoma. Tadoma is a method of communication performed by deaf blind people by reading the lips of their interlocutors using their sense of touch. They will place their hands on the lips, jaw, or neck of the person speaking to feel the vibration and movement of the jaw in the hand.
• If their visibility is sufficient, someone will use it Sign language but adapted to the visual conditions. For example, adjusting the distance or lighting.
• Print on palm. This method is used by writing the intended letters on the palms of the hands of blind and deaf people. For example, saying eat, it will be spelled by writing the letters m to n one by one on the palm of the hand.
• Some people also use letters braile. Braile letters are accessed by blind and deaf people through their sense of touch so that messages or information can be understood.