Deafblind Documentary

Naturally, there's an awesome Dr. Phil episode on the day I decide to stay later at school. I caught the last 15 minutes of his episode on deafblindness, which I would have LOVED to have seen.

A year ago, I was working in a group home for the Canadian Deafblind and Rubella Association. If you want to renew your appreciation for how good your life is compared to some, try working with deafblind individuals. I can't imagine trying to live with this disability.

There were four men living in the group home I worked at. One of them was completely blind and deaf and the others were hearing and vision impaired. When I first started working there, I didn't know if I would be able to handle it. As an "intervenor", I was responsible for being the eyes and ears of these men. Not only is it an incredible responsibility, it can also be a very difficult job.

As part of training, we were required to become deafblind for a day. It was honestly one of the most terrifying things I've ever done. We were blindfolded and given earplugs and heavy duty earmuffs and then given things to do. We had to sew, cook and go shopping while deafblind. The worst part was going out in public this way. My intervenor left me in the middle of the store and helped another temporary deafblind person. I felt very alone and scared - I couldn't see or hear if anyone was near me and I didn't even really know where I was. It certainly changed how I worked with the men after that.

Since I worked there, I've wanted to learn more about deafblind children. Most people know nothing about deafblindness (other than Helen Keller, I didn't really know how prevalent it is) and I think it's great that Dr. Phil chose to do an episode on it.

The guests on his show were parents of deafblind triplets. Can you imagine?! If done well, it's a lot of work to intervene for one deafblind person, let alone three. Of course, Dr. Phil showered them with gifts and arranged for special services at no charge.

Now I'm anxiously waiting to download it. I'm not sure if I can emotionally handle watching the whole thing - it was a real tear-jerker in the last 15 minutes alone. Maybe I'm biased because I have experience with this disability, but it sure made me miss my "guys". Anyway, check out his website...