Our Aim: A society in which deafblind people have the permanent support and recognition necessary to be equal citizens.
Scottish Charity No. SC 031167
Company Reg. No. 216974
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Guide/Communicators are highly skilled individuals, trained to be the eyes and ears of a deafblind person. They relay information, facilitate communication with others and ensure they are able to get about safely. They are neutral, alert and give information, not advice, without prior selection or processing. This service is recognised, by various reports and guidance documents, as the most important resource which can be made available to a dual sensory impaired person.
The role of a Guide/Communicator is a specialist one. 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, such as British Sign Language, Deafblind Manual, hands-on-signing etc. They are professional communicators, and if necessary, will introduce a range of communication methods to a deafblind person and encourage their use until an appropriate level of competence is achieved. In their role as guide, they will also escort dual-sensory impaired people from their homes to the destination of their choice.
The guide/communicator service aims to:
Deafblind Scotland has the expertise and infrastructure needed to provide a professional guide/communicator service throughout the country. We currently employ 40 guide/communicators across Scotland and provide regular services to 109 people. While local authorities and health boards are to be encouraged to provide this specialist service, it is often difficult for them to do so. Increasingly, local authorities and others are using Deafblind Scotland’s dedicated service to benefit dual sensory impaired people within their area. In 2004/5 our Guide/Communicators provided 41,000 hours of service to 109 people.
