News item from Deafblind UK
“Deafblind UK is a national charity supporting people with dual sensory loss (combined sight and hearing loss) to live independent and fulfilling lives.
We have a range of free services that can be used to support your students and their families to thrive.
Employability service
Deafblind UK provide free, tailored one-to-one employability support to individuals with sight and hearing loss. This includes help with building confidence, identifying strengths, CV development, interview preparation, exploring volunteering or training opportunities, and navigating barriers to employment in a way that is accessible and person-centred.
“The Deafblind Employability Service has been a wonderfully informative and helpful service. I have had the pleasure of working closely with Lawrencia, who has shared many tips and advice to help me along the way with my additional needs… It feels reassuring to know I have 1‑to‑1 support at the end of an email or phone call should I need it.” Employability Service User (2026)
Find out more about Deafblind UK’s employability service here.
Emotional and social support
Living with deafblindness can be lonely and your students might be feeling increasingly isolated. That’s why Deafblind UK offer a free befriending service where deafblind individuals can have regular contact with a friendly volunteer, either by phone, email or video call (inclusive for BSL users). Befrienders are there to talk, laugh and build lasting friendships.
Students can also join our virtual club for young deafblind people to make friends, get advice and share ideas and useful tips in a safe space.
Support for families
Deafblind UK provide specialist family support to deafblind parents and parents with children affected by deafblindness at every stage of their child’s development, from pregnancy to their child’s 26th birthday.
Parents and carers can join our support groups for deafblind parents and parents of deafblind children to share ideas, information and for moral support.
We also offer personalised deafblind awareness training for families, to help everyone understand the challenges and opportunities raised by growing up with sight and hearing loss.
Support and resources for schools
To make sure deafblind children and young people have the best possible start in life, we provide schools, colleges and universities with free resources, including our ‘Lesson in a Box’ to help teach students about deafblindness, and ‘Classroom quick wins’ to help schools make their spaces as accessible as possible.
Additionally, we run personalised online ‘Classroom technology showcase’ where you can explore the latest tech on the market for a deafblind child. Deafblind UK can explain all the features, benefits, pricing and suppliers.
For more information on the services we offer, please follow this link: https://deafblind.org.uk/get-support/
It is quick and easy to refer someone to our services. All they need to do is complete this form and they will then be contacted by a member of our friendly Helpline Team.”
