The population of people who are deafblind is very diverse. This is in part because of the wide range of combinations of different degrees of vision and hearing impairment, plus the possibility of other disabilities.
This range and combination of impairments results in a wide range of communication methods used by this group. While two people with deafblindness may have a lot in common, they may not be able to share their experiences with each other without assistance as they may communicate in very different ways.
The most common forms of communication used by people who are deafblind in Australia are:
- speech, oral and aural communication
- sign language including a variety of ways of receiving sign language such as close range, visual frame and tactile
- deafblind fingerspelling
- alternative and augmentative communication including touch cues, pictographs and key word signs
- print or braille, including print on palm, computer and email.