Experiences of Individuals with Deaf-Blindness and their Families During the Pandemic

April 2020

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there have been a number of publications describing the difficulties that deaf-blind individuals face as physical distancing requirements limit opportunities to interact with others via proximity and touch and thus impact access to education, services, and their communities.

Articles and Stories

Living With Deafblindness During COVID-19: An International Webinar to Facilitate Global Knowledge Translation
Findings from a webinar that brought together a variety of stakeholders in deafblindness across the globe.
The Importance of Family-Professional Partnership in Times of Uncertainty
A study of families with children who are deafblind during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They are deaf and blind, and social distancing has now taken their ability to touch (Washington Post)
Describes the impact of social distancing on individuals with deaf-blindness in the United States and the ways it increases their isolation.
Facing coronavirus while deaf and blind: 'Everything relies on touch' (ABC News)
This article has numerous vignettes and quotes from deaf-blind individuals regarding their experiences with social distancing during the pandemic.
I can't stop touching people. Even now during coronavirus (KUOW Seattle - NPR)
A 3-minute radio interview with Angela Theriault, director of the Seattle Deaf-Blind Service Center.
Who Is “Worthy”? Deaf-Blind People Fear That Doctors Won’t Save Them from the Coronavirus (New Yorker)
This article contain vignettes of numerous adults with deaf-blindness. The New Yorker is a subscription magazine, but allow users to access a limited number of free articles per month.
COVID-19 and Deafblindness: Recommendations on Inclusive Policies from the Global Deafblind Community
These recommendations on how to provide access to society during the pandemic address issues related to media, official information, services, personnel protection equipment, interpreters, health care, work, and education.
Impact of COVID-19 on DeafBlind individuals (The Daily Moth: Deaf News)
Article in print and ASL describing how nationwide guidelines that discourage physical contact and encourage physical distancing have impacted DeafBlind individuals.
COVID-19 as Social Disability: The Opportunity of Social Empathy for Empowerment (BMJ Global Health)
Although not specifically about individuals who are deaf-blind, two of the authors are members of the World Federation of the DeafBlind.
Flatten Inaccessibility: Impact of COVID-19 on Blind and Visually Impaired Adults in the United States
This report from the American Foundation for the Blind examined the impact of COVID-19 on adults with visual impairments in the United States early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents included some individuals with deaf-blindness.