Every year Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week is observed from June 21 to June 27 to raise awareness about the deaf-blind and help them thrive at the workplace. People who are deaf-blind tend to face a lot of obstacles in life, however, it is important that we come together to help them do well career-wise and be able to communicate with others. The day is named after Helen Keller because, in the 1880s, Helen Keller who was born deaf-blind made her own destiny. Despite all of the barriers she never gave up.

She faced some issues because of her deafness, her blindness and even because of her gender. However, she didn't let the disability take a toll on her and took the world by storm with her impressive work with Anne Sullivan to move care of the deaf-blind population forward. Using the technological advances and improvement in the digital world, Helen Keller National Center (HKNC) is "working with deaf-blind individuals to stay connected to their friends, family, and peers through the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program," as per the official website.

History

The history of Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week dates back to 1984 when President Reagan proclaimed the last week of June as "Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week". The aim of this day was to raise awareness about deafblindness and highlight the contributions of those who have this disability. Every year since, the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths & Adults (HKNC) commemorates "the week with a national advocacy campaign in recognition of the achievements and capabilities of people who are deaf-blind."

Theme and Significance

The theme for Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week 2020 is "DEAF-BLIND. AND THRIVING," which sets a positive and encouraging message. According to HKNC, it aims at removing obstacles people who are deaf-blind face and amid all the other obstructions "misconceptions don’t have to be one of them." They further say, "Not only do people who are deaf-blind thrive in the workplace, but they also make their workplaces thrive too. Companies with people who are deaf-blind experience an increase in productivity, a boost in company morale, and are nearly twice as likely to be innovative."

What Is Deafblindness?

Deafblindness is a condition where people have both hearing and sight compromised. It is a combination of visual and hearing impairment that affects people causing a barrier of communication. It makes access to information and even small daily-life work difficult.   However, being deafblind does not necessarily mean complete deafness or total blindness. Most deafblinds have some residual sight and/or hearing.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 20, 2020 12:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).