Name: Deafblind Convention 2022 - Embracing Change
Start: 06/10/2022 08:30 AM +00:00
End: 06/10/2022 04:30 PM +00:00

Robert Nolan, Chair of Deafblind UK, officially opens the Deafblind Convention and welcomes you to the event before sharing his fascinating experiences of living through change with deafblindness.&nbsp;

Robert Nolan

Karen Houlihan

Carolyn Greig

Tim Locke

Naomi Dainty

Bernice Arthur

Lesley Weatherson

Tom Mould

Amy Miller

Toni BSL Fraser

Steve Conway

Liz Duncan

Welcome

The history of accessibility services provision at the BBC is a long one with many successes and a few noble failures. Accessibility research continues to be a core part of BBC R&amp;D&rsquo;s work, supported by the wider BBC and the Director General&rsquo;s goal of a &ldquo;BBC for Everyone&rdquo;. In this talk we&rsquo;ll define what accessibility means to the BBC. We&rsquo;ll give an overview of the history of accessibility services at the BBC, what we&rsquo;re working on at the moment, and what services we hope to make available to our audiences in the future. This will include subtitling, audio description, and alternative audio mixes. We&rsquo;ll also discuss &ldquo;flexible media&rdquo;, which will allow audiences to personalise programmes in a myriad of different ways so that they get the best experience for them across all BBC content.

Alan Archer-Boyd

Matt Paradis

Kirsty Last

Option 1 | Accessibility research in BBC R&D Option

Reflecting how Counselling can be a positive experience for Deafblind people. Counselling explores feelings of loss and grief around sensory loss. Feelings and emotions around sensory loss may be discussed- these can include frustration, anger, sadness and unfairness. Quite often the feeling of frustration is associated with not being as spontaneous and a feeling of lack of control over own life. Sense of identity is reflected on . We go onto reflect on achieving acceptance and healing. We reflect on how a person can look to the future with hope and positivity. As part of the Counselling work areas outside of Dual Sensory Loss can be discussed , these may include bereavement , health issues, abuse , trauma, abuse , relationship issues . I will include in the talk a recording from a member who has had Counselling with me- she will talk about the emotional impact of living with Dual Sensory Loss as well as how Counselling has helped. Time given for Q and A.

Hayley Headington

Lipspeaker Mandy Allen

Laura Bradbury

Option 2 | The emotional impact of dual sensory loss

A new era of genetic testing is resulting in earlier diagnoses of Usher syndrome. The prospect of progressive vision loss for a child already living with hearing loss is often difficult for families to accept. What can be done to help children, young people and their families adjust to the changes associated with Usher syndrome. What tools and skills will enable them to thrive in the journey ahead? In this talk Chloe will share insights from the lived experiences of the Usher Kids UK community and shine a light on strategies and tools which can help empower children, young people and their families to embrace change and thrive.

Chloe Joyner 

Option 1 | Diagnosed with Usher syndrome in childhood? How can we equip young people to embrace change and thrive

As a cis-gay man with Acquired Deafblindness I, in my talk, shall focus on how I engage with &lsquo;change&rsquo; in my quotidian life. I shall discuss how my privileges have negotiated with my disadvantages and shaped my understanding of my 'identity'. The challenges that I had to face in my academic and sexual life in order to navigate through the changes, will be dealt with particular emphasis. In addition, the pandemic induced change, which is tremendous in magnitude and has significantly affected my academic and emotional life will be brought into the context. Triggering experiences of my own life might be shared, though of course with proper trigger warnings.

Ishan Chakraborty

Option 2 | Intersections of acquired deafblindness with queer identity: Understanding the idea of change from the perspectives of academic and sexual life.

Old people with Dual sensory losses constitute the largest subgroup with acquired deafblindness. Sensory problems in old age are often attributed to old age and ageing itself. Hence the specific functional aspects of the vision and hearing loss are not addressed. This paper will present a dialogical framework for rehabilitation with a focus on functional issues. We will present the dialogical framework and show how areas and goals for the rehabilitation of the individual can be identified within this model. For this purpose, we have developed a comprehensive rehabilitation interview guide. Its use and the results illustrated with concrete cases will be presented and discussed related to the individual rehabilitation goals set.

Else-Marie Svingen

Kolbein Lyng

Option 1 | Identifying areas and goals of rehabilitation in acquired deafblindness: A dialogical approacha

Research into improving outcomes for children, young people and adults with deafblindness or multi-sensory impairment (MSI) is limited. Working together with Deafblind UK, researchers at the Vision &amp; Hearing Research Centre (Anglia Ruskin University) and collaborators across the UK, have initiated a set of projects that aim to co-produce research with and for people with deafblindness/MSI. This talk will provide a brief overview of these projects, ways for people to get involved and introduce Claire Manford&rsquo;s PhD project on improving academic and social success for children with dual sensory impairment (deafblindness).

Saima Rajasingam

Claire Manford

Option 2 | Multidisciplinary and participatory research with and for people with Deafblindness/Multisensory Impairment claire manford raja singham 

Digital games, in general, rely heavily on visual and auditory content to present information to players. Deafblind people must confront a series of barriers to gameplay: limited options of self-representation, a perceived lack of complexity in games, the necessity for engagement with decades-old text-based technologies, and fears of being &rdquo;left in the dust&rdquo; by new and emerging technologies. In this talk, I will share the findings of my research with gamers who live with sight and hearing loss across different European countries. The talk will address different lived experiences, concerns and practices of Deafblind people in their interactions with games and play.

Arthur Theil 

Eileen Church

Option 1 | Revealing the world of gamers who are deafblind

Imtiaz lost his sight at the age of 21. As a young man struggling to come to terms with his diagnosis he has always been determined to live his life independently. &nbsp; In open conversation, he explains how losing his hearing in later years has driven him to raise awareness of sight and hearing loss. Through his shared lived experiences he will demonstrate how he has embraced these life changes in a positive way and hopes it can inspire others to do the same.

Imtiaz Naqvi

Option 2 | Embracing change  - a personal perspective

Legislation and statutory guidance have been described as having a fundamental role in improving social care for deafblind people, but in England, the way in which such legal provisions are implemented is not yet fully known. This talk presents findings from an ongoing study exploring implementation of the statutory requirement that social care assessments relating to deafblind adults &lsquo;must be carried out by a person who has specific training and expertise&rsquo; (Care and Support (Assessment) Regulations 2014). Statutory Guidance states that such training should be a &lsquo;minimum of OCN or QCF Level 3, or above, where the person has higher or more complex needs&rsquo;. The study examined how local authorities make decisions about what should be considered &lsquo;higher or more complex needs&rsquo; and how they determine who is suitably qualified to assess deafblind people presenting with such needs. Exploring such decision making is an important first step in ensuring deafblind people have access to appropriate social care.

Peter Simcock

Option 1 | Who is suitably qualified to assess the social care needs of deafblind adults? Findings from a study of English local authority decision making in relation to the training and expertise of

I began working with deafblind people in 1989 and became CE of Deafblind Scotland when it became a separate Scottish charity in 2001. On retirement in 2017 I resolved to write a book about the history of the organisation, and the deafblind people who shaped it. I involved deafblind people in writing the book which serves as a resource for families, professionals, and volunteers world-wide. &ldquo;Touching Lives&rdquo; recounts how deafblind people built not only the organisation, but a new building. And how they persistently lobbied all levels of government. As the offspring of Deafblind UK, Deafblind Scotland was inevitably greatly influenced by DBUK&rsquo;s movers and shakers. Patrick Murphy played a major role in European organisations. But what I remember about Patrick was his role in chairing an international convention in Edinburgh in 1991 where more than 150 deafblind people and guides gathered. Many different languages and modes of communication were used. It was utterly fascinating and a real privilege to watch deafblind people develop international friendships. The week endeared Patrick to Scottish deafblind people. My research for the book made me ponder on these times and on the journey deafblind people have travelled since them. The question today is &ldquo;How far have they actually come?&rdquo;

Drena O'Malley

Option 2 | Changing times? 

With the future of work rapidly taking shape, savvy leaders need to recognize that disability inclusion is imperative. While more than 15% of the world is disabled, disability awareness and inclusion are often not seen as priorities. In her keynote, Catarina addresses 3 myths blocking leaders from focusing on disability, explores the emotions surrounding disability, and articulates a vision for the future of work that centers on disability inclusion. Catarina will also share tips for how you can influence other stakeholders to care about disability inclusion and accessibility. She uses her own story as a disabled Latine woman to ground you in real-life examples and to create urgency around the imperative for inclusion.

Catarina Rivera

The future of work must prioritise disability inclusion

Deafblind UK is extremely proud to be part of such a supportive and committed community. As such, the Trustees feel that it is important to acknowledge personal and professional achievements.&nbsp;
Deafblind UK&rsquo;s &lsquo;Stepping Forwards&rsquo; commendations recognise people and organisations that have gone above call of duty to support the deafblind community.&nbsp;
This recognition will be presented by Deafblind UK Trustee, Eldre Beukes and certificates will be given for the following categories:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Raising awareness or understanding of deafblindness</li>
<li>Innovation in technology or services</li>
<li>Support to the community&nbsp;</li>
<li>Support to members and staff of Deafblind UK</li>
<li>Outstanding achievement</li>
</ul>
Steve Conway, CEO of Deafblind UK will close the event.&nbsp;

Deafblind Convention 2022 - Embracing Change

Agenda

Speakers35 Speakers

Robert Nolan

Alan Archer-Boyd

Matt Paradis

Imtiaz Naqvi

Eldre Beukes

Ishan Chakraborty

Kolbein Lyng

Else-Marie Svingen

Drena O'Malley

Arthur Theil

Hayley Headington

Peter Simcock

Chloe Joyner

Catarina Rivera

Steve Conway

Saima Rajasingam

Liz Duncan

Claire Manford

Darren Townsend-Handscomb

Karen Houlihan

Amy Miller

Tom Mould

Eileen Church

Lesley Weatherson

Kirsty Last

Lipspeaker Mandy Allen

Laura Bradbury

Naomi Dainty

Carolyn Greig

Tim Locke

Bernice Arthur

Femke Krijger

Toni BSL Fraser

Chloe Joyner

Chloe Joyner