In Tanzania, an estimated 1.16million people live with a mild form of deafblindness and over 115,000 people live with a severe form of deafblindness.*
*World Federation of the Deafblind (WFDB), 2018 At risk of exclusion from CRPD and SDGs implementation: Inequality and persons with deafblindness.
People with disabilities are among the poorest and most marginalised groups in Tanzania. There is still no recognition of deafblindness as its own disability and therefore it makes it harder to get access to services and support for their specific needs.
The Persons with Disability Act, 2010 makes provision for health care, social support, accessibility, rehabilitation, education and vocational training, communication, employment or work protection and promotion of basic rights for the persons with disabilities and to provide for related matters.
People with deafblindness, regardless of origin of their impairment, experience difficulty in accessing relevant information, news, communication, sports, daily living functioning, and social interactions. While these experiences vary between individuals with congenital versus acquired conditions, they generally experience similar challenges with accessing the individual support they need.
Access to technology can be a game-changer for people with deafblindness, providing new ways to access information, communicate with others, and participate in daily life. These resources will enable people with deafblindness and those that support them to live, learn, and thrive.