Deafblind Services Society
of British Columbia

Deafblindness

Deafblindness has many causes and the challenge it brings are often more than just a combination of visual and hearing impairments.

Acquired or Congenital

When someone is born with combined sight and hearing difficulties this is called congenital deafblindness.

If they develop these problems later in life, this is called acquired deafblindness. This may be due to an accident, illness or as a result of aging. In some cases, people may be born with a genetic condition such as Usher syndrome, which may mean that they progressively lose their sight and hearing.