Connecting people with deafblindness to the world around them.

Narrator: A staggering 1.3 billion people experience a significant disability and are 35% less likely to have essential digital skills for life. Their ability to participate in our ever-evolving society heavily depends on accessible environments and technology. 

Visual description: 

Image of the earth. Part of the Earth is engulfed in a yellow colour which animates into a pie chart., with the yellow slice representing 35% 

‘1.3 billion people’ text animates onto screen (typewriter style). Images of people pop in underneath the pie chart. ​ 

Camera tracks downward to reveal three  digital assets including a phone, tablet and laptop.  

Narrator: Only 1 in 5 children with deafblindness are enrolled in primary school, and are ten times less likely to be employed than their peers. 

Visual description: 

Cutout of children racing illuminated with a yellow outline around them . They race past the buildings into an empty white space. The camera moves to the next screen showing a young man, illuminated with a yellow outline around him, against a backdrop of a city .  

Narrator: The Global Deafblindness Resource Hub aims to change this by offering accessible content, resources, and information in 7 languages, connecting and empowering individuals with deafblindness and their support network. 

Visual description: 

Camera tracks across and ‘Global Deafblindness Hub’ text animates onto screen and is highlighted (typewriter style). Various assets appear on screen (digital iconography such as a computer and laptop). The digital icons disappear and the word “Resource” appears in seven different languages around the text 

Narrator: Meet Alice from Tanzania. Alice is a nine year old girl with deafblindness 

Visual description: 

Alice appears in the middle of the screen illuminated with a teal outline. 

Narrator: She lives in rural Tanzania with her family and has many siblings who support her in her day-to-day activities and play. 

Visual description: 

Alice moves to the right-hand side and an image of young children with their hands raised, sat at their desks in a classroom, appears on the left. The screen transitions to reveal five children in school uniform running out of school, with yellow outline around them. Alice is still on the right hand of the screen. 

Narrator: For many years, Alice was not able to attend school, delaying her social and intellectual growth. Her world consisted of only her immediate surroundings. 

Quick zoom out to reveal the school next to Alice’s house. The other children run off to the left towards the school (cut out sliding animations).  The camera zooms in on Alice, left at home alone.​ 

Narrator: That is until Sense International got involved.  

Visual description: 

Alice and the house slowly fades out and ‘Sense International’ animates in the centre of the bubble. 

Narrator: Sense International introduced Alice’s mother to the Global Deafblindness Resource Hub.  Visual description: 

Text disappears and camera zooms into image of two African women (an educator and Alice’s mum). ​Alice’s mum is holding a tablet. Digital assets (laptop, tablet and mobile phone) appear above both women with screenshots of the Global Deafblindness Resource Hub. 

Narrator: She was shown specialised training videos, equipping her with guides and sensory stimulation activities for Alice. 

A tablet rotates from a flat position to upright  and displays screenshots  of the Hubt. Elements showcasing ‘guides’, ‘sensory stimulation’, and ‘activities’ pop onto the screen. ​ 

Alice has been thriving ever since and regularly attends school, using the hub with her special educator. Alice also participates in community activities, and has friends.   

​Multiple dotted lines spring out of the tablet, leading to various windows. The first shows Alice and her educator, alongside a frame showing scrolling on the Hub. There is a screenshot from a video on the Hub, and the words “classroom toolkits” and “assistive technology” pop out in blue bubbles around the screen. The camera zooms out and moves to the next window, zooming in to show Alice’s mum holding a tablet with a zoom frame showing scrolling on the Hub. The words “Parent Guides”, “Well being tips” and “books” pop out in blue bubbles around the screen. It zooms out and quickly moves to an image showing Alice and a friend reading together, and pans across to an image of a group of children sat down looking into a tablet held by a young girl.   

Narrator: The Global Deafblindness Resource Hub can become a window to the rest of the world for many adults and children, just as it did for Alice. 

Visual description: 

Images disappear one by one, leaving the text ‘ The Hub’ and the tablet with a blank screen. Camera zooms into the tablet, where an image of the Earth appears with some teal ‘rays’ (like sunshine rays) coming out of it. 

Narrator: Together, we can build accessible spaces and resources, ensuring everyone, like Alice, is included and connected. 

Visual description: 

Image of Earth fades away and on a white background the Sense International logo appears. The words “Connect. Learn. Share” pop up swiftly along with the website link (https://deafblindnes.info/) . Finally the ‘Global Deafblindness Resource Hub’ logo and ‘Nelumbo Stiftung’ logo appear in the middle bottom of the screen.