Deafblind UK and Birmingham City University announce education and research centre

In keeping with their continuous collaboration with Deafblind UK, Birmingham City University (BCU) announced the opening of a new research center. People with combined visual and hearing loss will be able to contact with academics and physicians through the Deafblind UK Centre for Education and Research, which is situated at BCU. The facility is an expansion of the 2019 collaboration between Deafblind UK and BCU. BCU’s Certificate and Diploma in Professional Studies (Deafblind Studies) program, which was started in partnership with Deafblind UK and a group of organizations, welcomed its first class of students in March 2022.

The center will facilitate access to research programs and resources for individuals who are deafblind. A news release claims that it will raise awareness of deafblindness and give young researchers the information and abilities they need to take the lead in deafblindness research and clinical practice in the future. A wide range of conditions and experiences are included in the spectrum of deafblindness; some persons may only have a slight loss of vision or hearing, while others may completely lose both. According to the press release, 450,000 people in the UK suffer from sight and hearing loss, proving that deafblindness is much more prevalent than most people realize.

“This Center will be a game changer in how we understand more about deafblindness and what we can do to make the lives of all those affected better,” stated David Childs, an associate professor and the head of BCU’s College of Education and Social Work. Surprisingly little research has been done in this field. In addition to filling in the knowledge vacuum, the new center will serve as a significant ray of hope for people who suffer from simultaneous sensory loss.A hereditary condition has rendered David Blunkett, a member of the UK’s House of Lords, blind since birth. The establishment of the Deafblind UK Centre for Education and Research was praised by Lord Blunkett.

“The dual challenges that deafblind people face on a daily basis are much less well-known than the sensory challenges for blind people and those with profound deafness,” he stated in the news release. “This Center will play a significant role in raising public awareness and understanding of the ways that social and technological innovation can help in the future.” Addressing the particular difficulties of being deafblind is a positive step toward inclusivity. “It is frustrating that there are frequently accommodations for people who are blind or deaf,” Ricky Blair, a member of Deafblind UK, stated. “People frequently overlook the fact that many people must deal with both disabilities at the same time.”

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