Deafblind Convention to return in October

Deafblind UK’s Deafblind Convention will take place for the second time on 6 October.

The virtual event, which last year saw over 700 delegates attend, will focus on the topic of ‘embracing change.’

The convention aims to bring “people together to share thoughts, opinions, research, and experiences of living better with sight and hearing loss.”

Attendees will be able to personalise their day by choosing from a wide range of talks, the charity said.

Speakers will include Birmingham City University’s Dr Peter Simcock and Dr Arthur Theil, and delegates will also have the chance to hear from the BBC’s research and development team about the work they are doing around accessibility.

International speakers will include Kolbein Lyng, Else-Marie Svingen and Ishan Chakraborty.

The keynote speech will be delivered by disability advocate Catarina Rivera, who will address three myths that block leaders from focusing on disability. Rivera will also share tips for influencing stakeholders to care about disability inclusion and accessibility.

The event will also include official recognition of and thanks to people and organisations who have “gone over and above the call of duty” to support Deafblind UK and the wider deafblind community over the past year.

Steve Conway, CEO of Deafblind UK, said: “It’s a real pleasure to bring you this event once again.”

He added: “Being deafblind means living with constant change; it’s an ever-evolving cycle that has no end point. From experiencing first symptoms to adapting to a global pandemic, sight and hearing loss changes lives. This event will explore how deafblindness forces change and how a changing world impacts deafblindness.”

The event is free to join. Tickets can be booked online.