Understanding & Empathy

On September 27, 2018, the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind visited Wayne Middle School. They helped students in each grade understand what it could be like to be both deaf and blind (deaf-blind or deaf-blindness).  

To teach us how people with deaf-blindness feel and what their everyday life is like, the instructors helped simulate deaf-blindness for students.  One student would wear a blindfold, eye mask, ear plugs and headphones.  This represented what it would be like if you were deaf-blind.  Another student would act as a sight guide.  They would lead the person who was experiencing deaf-blindness around the school and outside.  The instructors gave us three important rules to follow when we were guiding someone. One, be safe, two, stay silent, and three, walk very slowly.  These rules were to help the person who was experiencing deaf-blindness to have a greater understanding of what it is actually like to be deaf-blind.  One of the tools available for the deaf-blind is a special cane.  It has a ball on the end and is very long.  Those who are blind use the cane and sweep it back and forth to make sure they aren’t going to bump into anything or anyone.  Some of the students used one of these while experiencing deaf-blindness.

Once those who were to first experience deaf-blindness were ready with their ear plugs, headphones, eye masks, and blindfolds, each of them was assigned a guide.  The guide was responsible for leading the person around the school.  They followed the rules to ensure that no one bumped into anything or anyone.  After the guide led their assigned person around the school for a while, they led them back into the classroom and sat them down for another activity.  The guide then helped the person perform the activity and eat some snacks.  Trying to help them understand what they were supposed to do without verbal or visual communication was very challenging and difficult.  Sometimes, the person experiencing deaf-blindness would “give up” and not do the activity or eat the snacks.  It was interesting to see what those who were experiencing deaf-blindness would do when they didn’t want to eat the snack.  Some would push it away, some wouldn’t eat it at all, and some would yell if their guide kept trying to feed them the snacks.

After a while, students had the opportunity to switch roles.  Experiencing deaf-blindness was a very different experience from being a guide.  Once you put the blindfold, eye mask, ear plugs and headphones on, you sat still for a few minutes.  It felt like you were sitting utterly alone.  Even though there were others sitting near you, it didn’t feel like it.  

Experiencing deaf-blindness for a short time helped everyone gain greater awareness and more empathy for those who live with deaf-blindness. Students gained a greater respect for the challenges associated with deaf-blindness.

Thank you to the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind for coming to Wayne Middle School.  Thank you to the instructors who were so helpful, and who taught us so much!

Submitted By:

Elena Peterson