13th - 20th June 2004

The third Deafblind Awareness Week in Scotland took place during June 13th - 20th, an opportunity to promote awareness of dual sensory loss and the issues involved.

The week started on Sunday 13th when Deafblind Scotland's Chairman, Bob Nolan, led a group of 9 participants in the Edinburgh Marathon. We are delighted that Bob, from Aberdeen, who is himself dual sensory impaired completed the 26 mile route in a very respectable 3 hours and 44 minutes, which is no mean feat even with good sight and hearing! Our congratulations and gratitude goes out to all those who took part.

On Monday 14th, the thirteenth annual Forum on deafblindness was held in Stirling when 100 people listened to speakers working in the sensory impairment field. The highlight of the day was Sanja Tanzay, Chief Executive of the Croatian deafblind organisation, Dodir, which in Croatian means 'touch'. Sanja, who is deafblind, brought her own interpreter who interpreted from English, into Croatian and then into Croatian Sign Language and vice versa.…a real challenge!

On Wednesday 16th, we held our Red and White Day which saw hundreds of pupils and employees across Scotland, from Dumfries to Aberdeen, dress in red and white to raise awareness of deafblindness. Deafblind people often use a cane similar to that used by blind people, only with red and white stripes to signify problems with both sight and hearing. At least the people of Scotland were in bright colours, even if the weather was grey!

The now annual Ride and Seek, which continues to go from to strength to strength was our final event, on Saturday 19th June. Last year we had 55 competitors. This year, more than 90 people participated. It was a fun day with cyclists starting at Kirkintilloch, riding along the banks of the Forth and Clyde, passing through Twechar, Auchinstarry, Craigmarloch Drawbridge, Banknock and Bonnybridge, on the way to the Falkirk Wheel. Not an easy task when you consider that there is 15 miles and 10 cryptic clues between the two! We are particularly proud of two deafblind competitors who completed the course with their sighted guides on tandems. The lucky winner gained a £100 voucher from Bike Wise Kirkintilloch.