Deafblind Scotland

03/11/2026

Meet Julie Ferguson — a Kirkwall Grammar School teacher diagnosed with Usher Syndrome at 21. Despite losing sight and hearing, Julie has become a powerful advocate for the deafblind community, sharing a message of resilience, dignity and the right to joy. Read her full story and learn how she turns challenge into purpose. https://wix.to/aiM1H3Q

Full article available from The Orcadian newspaper https://orcadian.co.uk/we-deserve-to-be-happy-and-enjoy-our-lives/A Kirkwall Grammar School teacher who was born deaf and later began to lose her sight has shared how her experience pushed her to become an advocate for the deafblind community. Julie...

02/11/2026

A film called “Unmasking” was released on LumoTV yesterday. It’s about Lara, a young Deaf woman's journey as she becomes Deafblind. It is a powerful human story about change and our ability to adapt.

The film is told in British Sign Language with captions, voice over and audio description.

As Lara’s sight deteriorates, she challenges herself, her friends and the wider Deaf community to rethink what it means to be Deafblind. Exploring touch, communication and connection, Lara asks whether adapting should be hers alone — or whether the community around her needs to change too.

Lara explores becoming tactile including using a long cane. With Greg, a trainer from the Guide Dogs organisation, providing an introductory taster session.

Lara also starts to learn 'Protactile' a new language which is emerging in Deafblind communities experienced wholly though touch.

Here is the link
https://lumotv.co.uk/watch/unmasking

The film is told in British Sign Language with captions, voice over and audio description.

01/11/2026

Did you know you can report accessibility problems on buses directly to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)?

GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-a-bus-or-coach-accessibility-problem-for-disabled-passengers

GOV.UK - The best place to find government services and information.

30/10/2026

Deafblind Scotland celebrated its 25th anniversary as an independent charity in Scotland. We held a celebration event and here's a video showcasing some of our activities and achievements from the last 5 years.

https://youtu.be/3QDGatAz1F0?si=9Nrrxdyc3KDdcyVm

Deafblind Scotland Celebrated it's 25th Anniversary of being an ind...

29/10/2026

Our chefs have been busy in the kitchen once again, creating some tasty dishes!

Everyone got involved in making a vegetarian pot pie, while Siri prepared a delicious chicken dish with cashew nuts, served alongside jasmine and wild rice.

Everything went down a treat!

A big well done to all our talented chefs. We’re already looking forward to seeing what they cook up next!

Photo 1- Four class participants pose together in the kitchen, wearing aprons and smiling. One participant stirs a pot of vegetables while holding a container of ingredients.

Photo 2- Three participants stand behind the kitchen counter, smiling at the camera. Two large baking dishes of food sit on the counter in front of them.

Photo 3- Five participants stand behind a kitchen counter. In front of them are two golden vegetarian pot pies, a pot of chicken and vegetables, a pot of jasmine and wild rice, and plates ready for serving. The group has gathered to show off the dishes they have prepared together.

Photo 4- On a kitchen counter there are two large golden brown pastry pies, a pot of meat and mixed vegetables and a container of purple coloured rice with a serving spoon. Plates are placed nearby ready for serving!

21/10/2026

What a brilliant cooking session!
A huge thank you to DbS member Siri, who taught us how to make authentic Thai dishes, including Tom Yum Soup and Spicy Chicken Rice. The food was so delicious that we were too busy enjoying it to remember a photo of the finished meals!
Thank you, Siri, for sharing your skills and making the session so enjoyable for everyone.

Photo 1 - A group are around a kitchen worktop as two women compare the size of a vegetable for chopping while another man and woman watch and take part in the discussion. Photo 2, a woman is moving chopped vegetables from a chopping board into a bowl. Photo 3, a man is sitting and a woman standing at a kitchen worktop they are looking towards the camera and smiling. Photo 4, group photo of our chefs with soup and rice.

19/10/2026

Accessible Christmas Experience at Lauriston Castle 🎄
We're delighted to share that Lauriston Castle, Edinburgh, is hosting a Descriptive Tour for Visually Impaired Visitors on Sunday 6 December 2026 at 11am. The event is free to attend.
To book your place phone 0131 336 2060 or visit the Lauriston Castle website, https://cultureedinburgh.com/events/descriptive-tour-for-visually-impaired-visitors-of-lauriston-castle-at-christmas
Spaces may be limited, so early booking is recommended.

Christmas Tour at Lauriston Castle specifically designed for visually impaired visitors.

13/10/2026

We are hosting an in-person Deafblind Awareness session on Tuesday 3rd November from 10am - 12 noon.

All are welcome to attend!

Contact Nicola at [email protected] to book your place.

08/10/2026

We recently delivered our Touching Yet More Lives Deafblind Awareness Training to VASLan – Voluntary Action South Lanarkshire.

A big thank you to everyone at VASLan for getting involved and making it such a great session. We really enjoyed meeting you all and sharing knowledge around deafblindness, communication and accessibility.

A special thank you to Nick, the videographer, for capturing the session on video!

Through our Touching Yet More Lives project, we provide free Deafblind Awareness Training to organisations across Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire, Argyll & Bute and South Lanarkshire.

If you are interested in arranging training for your organisation, please get in touch at: [email protected].

Thank you to everyone who has supported VASLan and South Lanarkshir...

06/10/2026

What a busy day in the kitchen!
Our cooking class was another huge success, with members making 2 pots of minestrone soup, 16 cheese scones, and 2 banana loaves. The food was delicious, and it was wonderful to cook, learn, and share the experience with our DbS friends.
We can't wait to do it all again at the next class!

Photo ID, picture 1, 2 women smiling standing at a kitchen worktop, they are measuring flour into a talking scale. Photo 2, a man smiling standing at a kitchen hob, he is stirring soup in a pot on the hob. Photo 3, three women standing smiling, 1 is whisking a banana bread mixture. Photo 4, a picture of the baked cheese scones.