November 6, 2009 AM: Visit: Tokyo Metropolitan Support Center for the Deafblind
Training Report - Leadership Development Course
Participants had an opportunity to visit Tokyo Metropolitan Support Center for
the Deafblind.
Deafblinds are those who have impairment in both hearing and vision. There are many patterns to what
is called deafblind: a totally deafblind is one who cannot hear or see a thing; “blind and
hard of hearing” are those who cannot see anything and have limited hearing; “deaf and
low vision” includes those who cannot hear anything and cannot see very well, etc.
[ Lecture Material]
Tokyo Metropolitan Support Center for the
Deafblind [ PDF ifle (47KB) ]
Three board members, all deafblinds, kindly came to the center to talk about their personal histories including daily lives, the conditions of disabilities and the purpose of their lives.
Interpreter/personal assistants are able to communicate with deafblinds with finger Braille, tactile sign language, or by verbal language according to the conditions of disabilities. Each board member brought one or two interpreter/personal assistances on that day.
When the board members “listened,” all three were interpreted by finger Braille through interpreters. However, when they “spoke”, one of them used sign language and two others used verbal language mainly, slightly using finger Braille through interpreters.
Participants observed those communications with a curious eye. It was amazing that there were various types of communication skills of the deafblind and those were used according to conditions of disability.
[ Lecture Material]
Communication methods with the deafblind [ PDF
ifle (33KB) ]
After listening three board member's speeches, participants had a chance to talk with them
through interaction among individual. Participants asked how they learned those communications
skills, how they managed household tasks such as cooking or doing the laundry, about marriage, and
so on. Various questions relating to interpreter/personal assistance were also asked such as
expenses for dispatch, roles of assistance, training and license to become assistance. Board members
asked questions back to the participants about the situation of the deafblind in participants'
countries.
Both participants and board members enjoyed interaction.
It was the first time for most of participants to meet the deafblind. Participants were deeply impressed to know that the deafblind fully enjoyed their own lives in spite of their difficulties in communication.
