0:00:09 > 0:00:11Imagine walking down the street.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17Then imagine that what you see is blurred and distorted.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21And that sounds are distant and confused.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24CAR HORN SOUNDS
0:00:26 > 0:00:31There are over 350,000 people in the UK living with a combination
0:00:31 > 0:00:34of deafness and blindness.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Not only is this a huge challenge for them to communicate
0:00:37 > 0:00:40but they also have to face a lack of independence
0:00:40 > 0:00:44and a sense of isolation which is overwhelming.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53Roger is 25 years old and lives with his parents.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Like many other people who are born deafblind,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Roger has congenital Rubella syndrome.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02He has brain damage, limited vision and is profoundly deaf.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Deafblindness must be the most isolating condition that you
0:01:07 > 0:01:10can be born with.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14The hardest thing for Roger's mother was not being able to
0:01:14 > 0:01:17communicate with her son when he was a young boy.
0:01:17 > 0:01:23I couldn't sit there and just say, "Mummy loves you."
0:01:23 > 0:01:26I had to find some other way of letting him know that there
0:01:26 > 0:01:32was somebody out there that actually cared about him.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37At home Roger's parents are his eyes and ears.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Beautiful!
0:01:39 > 0:01:43As someone who relies on observation to do what I do,
0:01:43 > 0:01:47it's miraculous to me that a life deprived of sight
0:01:47 > 0:01:52and sound can be given joy and hope and prospects and meaning.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55And that's why I'm involved with Sense.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00It's a charity which supports and campaigns for deafblind people.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05This is Adam, he's seven years old and lives with his parents
0:02:05 > 0:02:07and older brother Ethan.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Adam, throw it to mummy!
0:02:10 > 0:02:14Adam was born with a rare condition which left him with damaged sight,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17hearing and difficulties with learning.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21It's not being deaf, it's not being blind.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Those two together mean it's a whole different meaning as to how
0:02:24 > 0:02:27he relates to the world and how he understands the world.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Having a combined sight
0:02:29 > 0:02:35and hearing loss makes the ability to balance very difficult.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38If someone spun around for a long time and then asked to get up
0:02:38 > 0:02:42and walk straight, most people find that quite difficult to do.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46And that's what Adam deals with every day. That is his life.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51- OK, Adam, let's put your cardigan on...- Go out!- ..and go out, that's right.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54'Adam needs a lot of support every day.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57'In terms of it being what a seven-year-old would normally
0:02:57 > 0:03:00'be doing, it's very different.'
0:03:00 > 0:03:04He's very vulnerable when he's out, so he actually, whilst he's holding
0:03:04 > 0:03:10my hand, he's very actively using my hand to maintain his balance.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Let's go to the swings, that'd be great, won't it?
0:03:17 > 0:03:20The charity understands the particular types of help
0:03:20 > 0:03:23deafblind people and their families need.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27Sense has 17 specialist day centres around the UK,
0:03:27 > 0:03:31where individuals are taught new forms of communication.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36And expert staff spend time with them on a range of activities and skills.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38It's beautiful.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42It's so easy to look at a deafblind person
0:03:42 > 0:03:44and only see what they can't do.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49This charity focuses entirely on what that person can do,
0:03:49 > 0:03:54so with the help of one-to-one specialist support, Sense can
0:03:54 > 0:03:59open doors into what sometimes seems like a closed society.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04I've come to one of the charity's day centres
0:04:04 > 0:04:08to meet 46-year-old Richard and his support worker Clark.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Who opened the cage, again? I can't remember.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13- You!- Me?!
0:04:13 > 0:04:14It was you!
0:04:14 > 0:04:18- Hello, Clark. Hello, Richard. - Hi, Maureen.- Hi, there.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23Richard has a degenerative condition which means he has a learning disability.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27- Maureen's here, do you want to say hello?- Hello, Richard.
0:04:27 > 0:04:33'From the age of seven he started to lose both his hearing
0:04:33 > 0:04:35'and gradually his sight.'
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Clark, can you explain to me what you're doing?
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Obviously Richard's vision isn't brilliant
0:04:40 > 0:04:43and he can't really see what I'm signing back to him,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46so he can feel what I'm signing so he grips my hands.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48He can feel the motions of what I'm doing.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50I am...
0:04:50 > 0:04:53'With Clark's help I've learned how to spell out my name
0:04:53 > 0:04:54'on Richard's hand.'
0:04:54 > 0:04:56U...R...
0:04:56 > 0:05:00'Learning hands on sign language is vital for Richard's future
0:05:00 > 0:05:03'when he may lose his sight and hearing altogether.'
0:05:03 > 0:05:05- M.- Maureen.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Maureen.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10For all deafblind people the ability to communicate means
0:05:10 > 0:05:14the difference between feeling alienated and feeling included.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19For people like Roger who've spent all their life with minimum
0:05:19 > 0:05:24sight and hearing, words and letters can have little meaning.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28So the charity has introduced him to a new form of written communication.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31With the help of one of his support workers Chip,
0:05:31 > 0:05:36Roger has learnt a specialised vocabulary which uses pictures
0:05:36 > 0:05:39and symbols alongside words.
0:05:39 > 0:05:46He now works part-time at a cafe set up by the charity called Cafe 55.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Can I have the ham salad?
0:05:48 > 0:05:51The menus use the same picture system so with the help of
0:05:51 > 0:05:57another of his support workers, he is able to take customers' orders.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Roger is absolutely thrilled when Monday morning comes round.
0:06:01 > 0:06:02Thank you.
0:06:02 > 0:06:08Working in Cafe 55 has made a huge difference to him, his confidence
0:06:08 > 0:06:13has gone up through the ceiling, he sees himself more as an equal,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16rather than always being in somebody's shadow.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23Because deafblind people often feel excluded,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26school can be particularly daunting.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30So the charity has a specialist team which works with the school
0:06:30 > 0:06:35to help children, parents and teachers through this crucial time.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37Come on then, Adam, in you go, sweetheart.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Adam has been attending a special school since he was three.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Does it say in or up?
0:06:43 > 0:06:44Up.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Thankfully for Adam and his parents
0:06:46 > 0:06:48the charity has been there from the start.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Every six weeks, Gail,
0:06:50 > 0:06:54the charity's specialist consultant, visits Adam's school
0:06:54 > 0:06:58to observe his progress and give advice to teachers.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00It's wonderful to see the progress that he's making
0:07:00 > 0:07:05with the right support and to know that in time to come,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09hopefully Adam will be able to lead a full and enriched life.
0:07:09 > 0:07:16- Adam?- Yes.- Would you like me to read this? Yeah? OK.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21For Adam, Sense has been really crucial in him making
0:07:21 > 0:07:24the most of his school. I know he's going to achieve his potential.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28- Day or Dog?- Dog.- Good boy!
0:07:28 > 0:07:32The ongoing support he receives from Sense means he now
0:07:32 > 0:07:35interacts more confidently with those around him.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Adam, let's have a race!
0:07:37 > 0:07:41This is a charity that's working with and for people
0:07:41 > 0:07:46who otherwise would be seen as non-people.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Thank you.
0:07:48 > 0:07:54Without them, he would feel so alone.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59You know, sometimes deafblind people feel
0:07:59 > 0:08:03as if the whole world doesn't hear them or see them.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07With your support Sense can help these people to lead fulfilled
0:08:07 > 0:08:09and independent lives.
0:08:09 > 0:08:17So please donate, by going to the website which is bbc.co.uk/lifeline
0:08:17 > 0:08:23and if you don't have access to the internet just call 0800 011 011.
0:08:23 > 0:08:28And if the lines are busy, PLEASE keep trying!
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Or if you'd like to post a donation, please make your
0:08:31 > 0:08:37check payable to Sense and send it to:
0:08:37 > 0:08:41Remember if you're a UK tax payer the charity can collect
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Gift Aid on your donation worth another 25%.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Just send in a note to say you want your donation to be subject to
0:08:47 > 0:08:51Gift Aid and include the date, your full name and address.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Thank you.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:08:57 > 0:09:00E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk