Support Deafblind Children with Skills for Life

95% of what we learn is through our eyes and ears. Imagine what it is like to be deafblind. Deafblindness combines varying degrees of hearing and visual impairment. All individuals who are deafblind experience extreme challenges with communication and mobility; as well most have additional physical and medical conditions. Persons with deafblindness face neglect and discrimination and are thus denied basic human rights of education, medical care, amongst other needs that are taken for granted.

The Census Survey of India doesn't include the number of Deafblind people but according to a survey by Sense International (India), there are approximately 5,00,000 Deafblind people in India.

These numbers highlight the importance for the essential services to understand & communicate with this large group of our population to ensure a life of dignity, satisfaction for them & have a truly inclusive society.

Here is a story Amazing daughter "Mansi Vinayak Gangurde" (As narrated by her mother, Mrs.Savita)

“A daughter is a miracle that never ceases to be miraculous"

I live as an example because not a day passes by that my daughter fails to amaze me.

My daughter is deafblind. When she was born, it was like a dream come true for my husband and me. It took a few days for us to realize that our little angel refused to understand the perception of the world. Even as we searched anxiously to find ways to restore her sight and ran from pillar to post we had little money from all that we would save from selling milk & my husband being a daily wage labourer, the next harsh reality dawned on us a year and half later, when we found that she could not partially hear also.

It was like my world and all my dreams had crumbled around me. While children her age ran around the house, my two year old simply lay on the ground- immobile and rebellious. My maternal instincts sensed her turmoil but I knew of no means to reach out to her. Days passed and I lived with a burden on my heart for my silent little girl. Mansi being the oldest child and having 2 siblings from which the youngest 1 was also special like her.

This is when Ashwini Ma'am an educator from came to us and counseled us on the brighter possibilities, I was so amazed that they got to know about us from the gram panchayat it felt like she was Godsend. She told us about deafblindness and others who also suffer from the same. Suddenly we felt that we were not alone in this turmoil. She educated us on the therapy and training that could help normalize Mansi's life.

Mansi awaited her biweekly visits eagerly. She taught her to identify objects and express her basic needs. It became easier for her to hold the glass and let people know that she was thirsty than cry incessantly. Once the communication barrier was broken down, it was easier to reach out.

Today she can make her way around the house by feeling the walls. She gets ready on her own and chooses her soap and oil by the scent. She is slowly learning to participate in other activities as well. This training has helped Mansi connect with our world. She and I are closer than ever. Our natural instincts have found an expression. I know it is still a long way to go, but my daughter is making progress. She is taking slow but sure steps to freedom.

Mansi's Story is an example of the amazing work Sense India has been doing since 1997.

Deafblind Children, once isolated to their homes will now be part of mainstream education programmes as equal participants in the public school system. This will lead to awareness on the issue of deafblindness in society at large and will empower parents of deafblind children with the appropriate knowledge and skills required to help their child live a full, active life. Staff trained during the project period will ensure long-term sustainability of deafblind services in the region.