The Communicator Guide Service for Deafblind people in Oxfordshire

We are very grateful for this article from Verity Hollingshead from the Sensory Impairment Team of Oxfordshire Social and Community Services

Deafblindness is a condition where a person has both sight and hearing impairment, which causes difficulties with communication, mobility and accessing information. It is a unique disability affecting approximately 23,000 people in the UK and includes people with a progressive sight and hearing loss. A further 250,000 people are thought to have a lesser degree of combined sight and hearing loss.

Deafblindness is sometimes referred to as having a ‘dual loss’. There are many different causes; some people are born with a hearing and/or sight loss (congenital) whilst others acquire a loss later in life. Deafblindness occurs in all age groups, but older people make up the largest group.

There is a misconception that being deafblind means having no sight or hearing at all. However, most people who are deafblind have some sight or hearing.

Communicator Guides are specially trained to provide one-to-one support to deafblind people. They act as the eyes and ears of the deafblind person to enable them to be as independent as possible by supporting such clients with communication, mobility and access to information.

They enable deafblind people to make informed decisions by ensuring information (spoken, non-verbal, written and environmental) is delivered using the deafblind person’s preferred communication method/s.

Communicator Guides support with everyday tasks and activities such as:

• Help with making phone calls, reading mail and other correspondence. • Shopping (i.e help to identify and describe shopping items, read labels, prices).
• Going for a walk (guiding support).
• One-to-one conversation and social interaction.
• Accessing the environment (i.e describe surroundings).

Through enabling deafblind people to access and participate in activities of their choice, Communicator Guides help to reduce the effects of isolation and promote wellbeing and choice. Support sessions are tailored to the needs of each individual. A countywide Communicator Guide Service is available through Oxfordshire County Council. If you consider yourself to have a dual loss or know someone who may benefit from the service, please contact the Hearing Impairment Team on:

Tel: 01865 894 925

Email: hearing.impairment@oxfordshire.gov.uk

A great couple of months

Our thanks to Kevin Pamphilon, Captain of Oxford Spires Bowlers On the 9th of September Graham, Laura and Paul played in the Hay Moffat memorial tournament with teams from all over the country and they finished in 1st place. This was the club’s first national win.

In October Graham Hall represented Great Britain in the 4th IBSA world championship held in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. The tournament was a hard fought week with some good bowling from South Korea and Finland where the bowlers had some amazing scores. Graham is the first bowler to represent the club on a national stage. He played well and did Oxford proud.

In November we have one team competing in the BBS Summer pairs final in Swindon with Graham, Chris and Kevin. In December we have our own tournament in Memory of Jonathan Mitchell which is being held in Banbury.

We play at the Bowl Plex in Oxford, near the Kassam Stadium. Although we have some brilliant players, all levels of bowlers are welcome.

Contact Kevin Pamphilon club captain. Phone 01869 331778.