CNIB Deafblind Community Services Celebrates Staff and Clients in Honour of Deafblind Awareness Month

TORONTO, June 1, 2020 /CNW/ - With June being Deafblind Awareness Month, CNIB Deafblind Community Services (DBCS) is honored to celebrate its staff and the clients they provide service to.

DBCS's intervenors and literacy specialists provide invaluable assistance by supporting the organization's clients, who are Deafblind, to access information about the world around them.

Our Intervenor Services provide accurate information in an appropriate manner to enable someone who is Deafblind make choices, plan future actions, communicate successfully, navigate their environment and achieve as much independence as possible. Our Literacy Program, the only literacy and basic skills program for Deafblind adults in Ontario, sees our specialists work with clients on a wide range of goals including employment, apprenticeship, post-secondary education, and overall independence.

During COVID-19, our intervenors have continued to provide direct service to people who are Deafblind in the community and in their homes to ensure they are able to access essentials and help decrease isolation. But the pandemic has also meant DBCS and its staff have had to find creative and innovative ways to provide services. 

"Our intervenors and literacy specialists have been finding new ways to reach out to clients to ensure they're informed," said Sherry Grabowski, Executive Director, CNIB Deafblind Community Services. "From sitting outside of nursing homes and signing through the window to hosting webinars and virtual sessions on everything from current events, advocacy and nutrition, our staff have been busy trying to minimize the sense of isolation and loneliness felt by our clients."

For now, these new adaptations to services are only available to DBCS clients within Ontario – however, the organization is attempting to change this.

The organization has set its sights on expansion into more geographic areas in the hopes of helping more people across the country. With more than 1% of the Canadian population being Deafblind, DBCS's services are now more important than ever to those who need them.

"The lack of professional support services for people who are Deafblind in Canada is definitely a human rights concern, especially when a person needs a professional to facilitate communication at a medical or legal appointment," says John M. Rafferty, president and CEO of CNIB. "That's why our services are so important to the people we serve."

As Canada emerges from the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, CNIB Deafblind Community Services is eager to continue its expansion in order to provide life-changing services to the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who are Deafblind today.

About CNIB Deafblind Community Services

CNIB Deafblind Community Services is one of Canada's leading providers of specialized support and emergency services for people who are deafblind. Our intervenor services and literacy programs enable people who are deafblind to maximize their independence and engagement with the world around them. To learn more, visit deafblindservices.ca.

About Deafblind Awareness Month

Started in 2015, Deafblind Awareness Month is a way to help Canadians develop an understanding of, and a comfort with, the people in their communities who are Deafblind.

SOURCE CNIB Deafblind Community Services

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