Deafblind UK Conference 2026
Thursday 8th October 2024 | 9.30 – 16.30 BST | Online
“This year’s online conference, In Touch: Exploring touch, tactility and deafblindness, has been created to explore the power of touch and tactility from many different angles. We are bringing together the Deafblind community, families, carers, practitioners, academics, technologists and researchers to share knowledge, experience and ideas.”
Visit their website to register and for further information.
Agenda
| 09:30 – 09:35 (BST) | Welcome Address | Nikki Morris, CEO, Deafblind UK |
| 09:35 – 10:15 | Beyond Sight and Sound: Mapping the Role of Touch in the WHO ICF Core Sets for Deafblindness | Dr Walter Wittich |
| 10:15 – 10:25 | Break | |
| 10:25 – 11:05 | Neuropsychology of dual sensory loss and the tactile memory scale | Jude Nicols, Clinical Neuropsychologist, Statped and Haukeland University Hospital |
| 11:05 – 11:15 | Break | |
| 11:15 – 11:55 | Establishing a tactile ecosystem – is it time for a tactile revolution? | Steve Rose, Speech Pathologist and Deafblind Consultant |
| 11:55 – 12:05 | Break | |
| 12:05 – 12:45 | Designing Beyond Function: Aesthetic and Motivational Frameworks for Tactile Learning Materials | Dr Namita Jacob Programme Director, Chetana Trust and Senior Regional Education Specialist, Perkins InternationalTeresa Anthony |
| 12:45 – 13:15 | Lunch | |
| 13:15 – 13:55 | Lord Blunkett and Sir Stephen Timms | |
| 13:55 – 14:05 | Break | |
| 14:05 – 14:45 | Exploring Deafblindness: New Research and Emerging Insights from Birmingham City University | Dr Peter Simcock, Associate Professor of Social Work, Birmingham City University |
| 14:45 – 14:55 | Break | |
| 14:55 – 15:35 | Lived Experience and Research in Social-Haptic Communication and Vibrosensoric Perception | Russ Palmer, International Music Therapist, Vibroacoustic Therapy Practitioner, and Postdoctoral ResearcherDr Riitta Lahtinen, Postdoctoral Researcher
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| 15:35 – 15:45 | Break | |
| 15:45 – 16:25 | Panel Discussion – Exploring Tactile Communication Through Lived Experience | |
| 16:25 – 16:30 | Closing Address | Robert Nolan OBE, Chair, Deafblind UK |