Deafblind Australia visits Spain

David Murray attended the Deafblind Census Conference in Spain to contribute to the development of core sets for Deafblindness as part of the International Classification of Functioning framework. This event gathered Deafblind individuals, researchers, and professionals from around the world to finalise these core sets. The knowledge David gained will help Deafblind Australia (DBA) improve services, including the National Disability Insurance Scheme, to better support the deafblind community.

Traveling with a support person/interpreter was essential, as the environment was challenging to navigate with language barriers. His interpreter ensured he had full access to information and felt included.

There were places that were dark and areas with little lights and signs. The paths were random with uneven, difficult to see surfaces, narrow roads and many hills. The support person helped me travel and navigate safely with providing information to my surrounding environment. The interpreter helped me bridge the gap with communicating with people, it was challenging as many signs, and words used was in Spanish language and many people spoke limited English. We used Google translator to understand what food we were ordering in a restaurant. The interpreter also supported me with communication support at the conference to capture all the information including environmental information and helped make me feel more inclusive.

The ICF core set has the potential to improve support for Deafblind people worldwide, especially in countries without established systems. DBA can use this framework to improve communication, reduce isolation, and align with WHO guidelines.

The Global Deafblind community forum have a shared goal: to improve the lives of those with deafblindness. It gave David a strong sense of belonging as knowledge and experiences were shared. David was able to see the differences in cultures, languages, and support systems that affect the quality of life for people with deafblindness.

Meeting others at the conference highlighted how fortunate Australia is to have strong support systems compared to countries with fewer resources.

Countries like India have limited funding and resources, which makes it harder to support their large population and many different deafblind communities.

The supporters and professionals at the forum were passionate about learning and fully committed to improving the support available. For example, in Sweden, there is no regular funding for interpreters and support, which is different from the system in Australia.

— David Murray, Executive Officer

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