Debbie James

Happy New Year to everyone! ❤️

What a wonderful, busy year it has been for all our service users—filled with fun, laughter, and new experiences. Most importantly, it has been a year of our users being in control and making their own choices.

We are so thankful to our valued Communicator-Guides, Interpreter Guides, family members, and friends who help us in so many different ways.

"The smallest thing you do always makes the biggest impact on the lives of vulnerable deafblind people."

We look forward to making a difference to many more deafblind people in 2026!

With love to you all,

Debbie

Congratulations to Jonathan and Elizabeth for completing the Signature Level 2 Communicator-Guide Course with us!

It is with sadness that I inform you that Catherine Fields died at home on Monday 28th April 2025.

Catherine, a deafblind lady in Essex was a great inspiration to so many people, locally and nationally. I first met Catherine in 2000 facilitating a Specialist Assessment as she was first starting to loose her vision, providing Catherine with the rehab skills and a Communicator-Guide service, as a deafblind mum to her two daughters, which she was always immensely proud of.

Catherine was a joy to be with, she campaigned for better services for deafblind people, assisted with specialist training and taught us all so much, a determined, strong willed lady who lived life to the full with a good sense of humour, and was so brave. Catherine lost her sight and developed fluent skills using Hands On, Deafblind Manual and Haptic to gain vital access to information to always be in control and have choices. Catherine was happy to be on DBE's Essex leaflet to assist us to identify further deafblind people in need. Thank you RAD team for supporting and being her family. Many of our DBE deafblind family and Interpreter Guides/Communicator-Guides at DBE will remember Catherine as she came to our Annual Rallies and she received our Interpreter Guides service. Taken from us too soon, never forgotten RIP Catherine

Congratulations to Sarah and Jess for studying their Visual Frame Hands On module, assessments Signature Deaf VFHO301 completed. Well done!

Below is Sarah with her DBE certificate - both Sarah and Jess are now fully trained DBE's Interpreter Guides.

Anyone interested in joining DBE's National Register for Interpreter Guides competent in BSL Hands On, Visual Frame, Block, Deafblind Manual, please contact training@deafblind-enablement.co.uk or contact training on 01733 686969 for details. New dates for 2025 will follow......

It's Sign Language Week!​

Thank you Heidi, DBE's Awareness Officer and Josh, DBE's Head of Training detailing the most important points to consider when using Visual Frame and Hands On communication.

Heidi says:​

I want to give you about BSL Interpreter Language most important points

• We all need good lighting;
• Plain clothing dark navy, red - it varies with deafblind people's vision;, no patterns;
• Seating: always sit face to face, opposite each other;
• Sit at the same level, not one person higher or lower than the other;
• Interpreters do not sit behind a window because it makes your face dark from the light behind; It's important to know if the person uses Visual frame, Hands On, Deafblind Manual, Block letters.
• Thank you for watching. HAPPY SIGN LANGUAGE WEEK!

Josh states:​

• Did you know that many BSL signs cannot be seen when a deafblind person uses hands-on or visual frame. This is because many words use the same sign with different lip pattern, facial expressions or location.
• Sign Language is not just about signing BSL vocabulary, it is how you communicate the whole message to convey the context, tone and meaning behind what is being said.
• Using BSL Visual Frame or Hands On alongside Deafblind Manual, Spartan Block and BSL fibgerspelling is vital to clarify and reinforce key points of a message, at DBE we believe in a "total communication" philosophy
• A deafblind person's emotional state and general wellbeing can impact on how much information they receive and retain.
• Giving the appropriate environmental information through effective communication empowers Deafblind people and allows them to regain choice, control and independence that is often lost through dual sensory impairment
• When working with Deafblind people, you need to be specifically trained to understand their individual needs and support them appropriately
• It is easier to pity Deafblind people than to understand their needs and treat them with the respect and dignity they deserve.

Come and join us on our Deafblind courses to become a Specialist Interpreter Guide / Communicator-Guide or join our team.

For information email training@deafblind-enablement.co.uk

Contact us to discuss how you can make a difference; 01733 686969 www.deafblind-enablement.co.uk

Here at DBE we are interested in what you are interested in. We do what we can to accomodate and organise social events for our service users so they can do activities they enjoy.

Here is an example of our first Craft Club for 2025. Lots of Fun!

With over 28 deafblind people attending with their DBE Communicator-Guides, enjoying Pizza Hut, Black Country Museum, bowling, afternoon tea experience, with dinner bed and breakfast games and laughter - a thoroughly successful fun time spent together with our deafblind community, with new and old friends.

Happy Christmas everyone!