7 Ways to Adapt Your Environment for Deafblind People - Guest Post

Whether it’s partial or complete deafblindness, when they’re home people with hearing and sight difficulties need to feel comfortable, safe and completely in charge of their surroundings.

Acquired deafblindness can be frustrating and scary. It forces people to rethink their habits, their needs, and their environment.

To help deafblind people gain their independence, we’ve hand-selected 7 ways to adapt your house in order to accommodate them. 

​1. Lighting Changes

Whether they live in a studio, apartment or house, one of the first and most important changes for a deafblind person’s environment should be lighting.

​Changing the placement of light fixtures can also help better illuminate dark spaces:
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• Choose the brightest light bulbs. These will come in handy in darker spaces where accidents tend to happen such as the bathroom or on the stairway. Invest in fluorescent bulbs – they emit a more powerful light and they last longer.
• Be generous with the light fixtures. Illuminate the house entirely, including the hallways, closets, and outside.  

2. Interior Design Adjustments

​The home of a deafblind person should be a safe haven. Here are some tips to help you create exactly that.

• Install a border in every room. This type of border goes around the edge of the room and helps deafblind people differentiate between the floor and the walls.
• Know what type of flooring you need. Take into consideration the needs and preferences of the deafblind person when choosing a flooring system for the house. The floor should have a non-slip texture. It should also be a different color than the walls and ceilings.
• Pad sharp edges. Accidents can’t always be prevented and they’re bound to happen sooner or later. Padding sharp edges and corners all around the house is especially important for those who recently acquired sight difficulties.
• Install handles and rails. These small additions can make it much easier to navigate the house and get around. They can also serve as points of reference and mark the beginning of a new room.

3. Appliances

Electrical items can be tricky to get used to. But it’s not impossible for deafblind people to use them.

Here’s how you can make it go smoother for them.

• Use tactile bumps. This is a simple yet very effective way to help impaired people distinguish between various knobs and control buttons. A marker can easily be glued or attached to things so this is a simple do it yourself project.
• Organize all the wires. You’ll want to make sure you do everything in your power to minimize hazards. This includes a thorough organization of wires that could trip people and cause injury. Use tape or cords to tie wires together and arrange them so they’re never in the way.
• Use contrasts to your advantage. A white switch against a white wall won’t do anyone any favors. Replace the switches as soon as possible with brightly colored ones that easily stand out and are simple to notice. If you can’t change the switches, use colored tape to mark them and help them stand out.

4. Bathroom Adaptations

This type of adjustment is essential for safety.

​Here’s how to adapt a bathroom for deafblind people:

• Add non-slip mats and floors. One of the most important adaptations is taking care of any walking surfaces that might be slippery. Invest in non-slip flooring that should go all throughout the bathroom. Add non-slip mats both in the tub and in the shower.
• Install grab rails in key places. The place where you install these might depend on personal preferences. Nonetheless, they are an essential addition that should be in every bathroom. Grab rails and hand rails make it easier for deafblind people to be more independent and find their way easier.
• Use contrasting colors. Both the walls and the accessories in the bathroom should have contrasting colors. For instance, if the tile is white, choose dark colors for the wash basin, toilet seat and towels. This ensures the items pop and are easier to spot for those with partial sight loss. 

​5. Hallway Adaptations

Hallways shouldn’t be overlooked when you are working on adapting a home for a deafblind person.

​Here’s what you should know about corridor adaptations:

• Install a lot of grab rails. Grab rails do not only help deafblind people move around the house easier, they also serve as points of reference. For instance, a person will know that there are 3 grab rails between the kitchen and the front door, which helps them navigate smoothly and faster.
• Remove clutter. There shouldn’t be any unnecessary items lying around in hallways or corridors. Coat racks, umbrella holders and shoe racks can create more issues than they are worth. Move them to a separate room or to dedicated shelves where they can’t inconvenience anyone. 

6. Outdoor Adaptations

To make it easier to deafblind people to go out or access the garden, here’s what you should keep in mind about outdoor adaptations:

• Maintain the paths. Whether you do it yourself or hire someone else to take care of it on a regular basis, maintaining and repairing paths is a must. They should always be hazard-free, especially during winter months when rain can easily transform into dangerously slippery ice.
• Install big door handles. The locks on doors should be easy to operate both from inside and outside. The door handles should be as big as possible without being cumbersome. This makes them easier to grab and open the door.

7. Security Adaptations

There are special alerting systems designed for people with hearing and sight difficulties that keep them informed about what is happing: phone ringing, smoke alarm going off or someone at the door.

• Pager. This is a simple to use device that can be carried in the pocket or attached to clothing. The pager uses vibrating signals to inform the user about alerts or alarms.
• Bed shaker. This device is usually placed under the pillow during nighttime and vibrates to alert people with hearing and sight difficulties. A bed shaker can be connected to the alarm clock or smoke alarm system.

About the Author:
 John Stuart works on behalf of raisedfloor.co.ukin outreach and content creation. He creates engaging content that help businesses connect with their audience and stand out from the crowd