People with deafblindness - health and services during the Covid-19 pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic, with prescribed physical distancing affects everyone in society.

Health risks has been identified in young people and people with disabbilities, among them people with hearing or vision loss. The situation for people with deafblindness has not been studied during the pandemic.

Hearing and vision are compensatory sences and limitations in both cause restriction in communication, information and mobility.

Physical proximity is a prerequisite for communicating with others and specialised services is required.Usher syndrome (USH) is the most common cause of deafblindness with a congenital moderate to profound hearing los and a progressive eye decease, Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Research has shown a poorer health situation for this group, than in the general population, but strategies to handle challenges in every day life have also been identified.The aim of this project is to provide a basis for health care and social service professionals for the development of services accessible for people with deafblindness during and after the pandemic.

The objectives are to explore the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic for people with deafblindness with regards to health, need for assistance in daily life and support from habilitation services for people with deafblindnes by means of qualitative individual interviews of people with deafblindness and focus groups with professionals.

Data will be analysed by content analysis and IPA.

Three research questions addresses will guide the project:How do people with USH, in need for physical closeness for communication, information and mobility manage in times when physical distancing is prescribed due to the Covid-19 pandemic?What is the lived experiences of health in relation to Covid -19 among young people with USH attending upper secondary school or university?In what way have professionals within habilitation services provided support for persons with deafblindness during Covid-19 pandemic to meet their needs?