Faith Matters

Sight and hearing are the two most important senses for human mobility, orientation, communication and participation in society. Deaf-blindness is a dual disability that severely limits a person’s independence and ability to master everyday tasks. But depending on whether people are born deaf-blind or whether they become disabled in this way during their lifetime, technical devices and the development of tactile perception – for instance, by learning sign language – increases their participation in the world of the sighted and hearing.

This report looks at the work of Oberlinhaus on the outskirts of Berlin, where the German Lutheran Church helps young and old who suffer from this dual disability to structure and enjoy their lives.