Deafblind Awareness Week takes place 24-30 June 2018, and this year hundreds of people will be raising awareness across England by taking part in Sense Walks and Sense are inviting you to join in.
Deafblind Awareness Week takes place every year around the birthday of world famous deafblind American author and activist, Helen Keller, who was born on 27 June 1880.
Helen Keller was instrumental in raising awareness of deafblindness among the public, helping them understand what life is like when you have both sight and hearing loss.
The idea for mass walks was inspired by ‘Roger’s Walk’ – in memory of a man called Roger Mulholland, who was deafblind.
Roger sadly died in 2015 at the age of 29, and a sensory walk was organised by his family and friends in his memory. In 2016, the Deputy Lord Mayor of Exeter joined dozens of people who took to the streets during Deafblind Awareness Week to mark the occasion.
Sense were so inspired by Roger’s Walk, that they decided to make walking part of every Deafblind Awareness Week; and the tradition of the Sense Walk has continued ever since.
Sense Shops, Sense Centres and local venues will be the start-point for this year’s Sense Walks. It’s a great chance for people of all abilities to come together and start a conversation about deafblindness, sensory impairments and complex communication needs.
The walks are short, inclusive and accessible gentle strolls appropriate for children, older people and disabled people. If you’d like to join in you can find details of the Sense Walks nearest to you here.
If you have any questions about any of the walks, please email damian.field@sense.org.uk
