Life is doubly hard for those who have to live with more than one disability.

IT IS never easy coping with a disability. Yam Tong Woo, who hails from Sungai Buloh, Selangor, is all too familiar with such an experience.

Yam, 58, became blind four years ago following a bacterial infection.

“Looking back, it was fortunate that I could tap into my inner strength. Coupled with family support and love, I managed to accept my sudden loss of sight,” said Yam. “My life-changing experience, however, had a positive impact on me. It widened my scope of vision and enabled me to see the good, bad and the ugly sides of life.”

Yam made many new friends who included people in wheelchairs, the blind and a lesser known group, the deaf-blind. He first met deaf-blind people on the Internet after learning to use the screen reader, a special computer programme for blind users.

Yam created a chat room for the blind community to come together to share their experiences. His encounter with the deaf-blind was an eye-opening experience. Choo Kim Yoon is one such friend of Yam.

Choo, 44, became blind after a bout of high fever when he was three years old. Then at 16, he began losing his hearing as well. The doctors did not know what had caused Choo’s hearing loss and put it down as an “unknown illness”.

The teenager did not allow his handicap to stop him and went on to complete his Form 6 education. Later, he obtained a certificate in stenography. Choo currently works part-time at the Malaysian Association for the Blind in Kuala Lumpur.

Living with more than one disability can be really tough and challenging, says Choo. Not being able to see and hear properly makes communication with other people a major problem.

“People are not always willing to talk with you once they discover that you have a hearing problem on top of your blindness,” says Choo. “They don’t always have the patience to repeat things to you. Instead, they often raise their voices or shout at you. This is a sure conversation-killer for most deaf-blind persons.”

Choo points out that there is so much more the public can do to help the deaf-blind community. One way is by learning how to communicate through finger-braille. It follows the Braille principle. One communicates with a deaf-blind person by touching his fingers and vice-versa.

Choo has a friend who communicates with him in this way. His chum will often help him to buy lunch as well as get a new set of batteries for his hearing aid whenever the need arises.

Choo and Yam strongly feel that non-governmental organisations serving the blind should work hand in hand with the Government to create awareness among the public regarding the needs of the deaf-blind community.

“They should make it a point to invite us to their functions so that more people can see us and realise that people like us do exist,” says Choo. “No one should avoid the deaf-blind community because we, too, want to actively participate in society and contribute in any way that can enhance our quality of life.”

Choo and Yam feel that the best way to break the communication barrier for deaf-blind persons is for everyone to work together in implementing a standard sign language that is acceptable and accessible to both parties.

“One of the best ways is to use Lorm, a tactile sign language that caters to the blind-deaf,” says Choo.

According to Choo and Yam, Lorm is widely used in developed countries.

“The Government should provide financial assistance to the deaf-blind who need to purchase high-tech communication devices, and supply high quality hearing aids to them, too,” says Yam.

“Computer access for the deaf-blind community is a must. For this to happen, the Government must supply subsidised or free Braille display devices for deaf-blind Malaysians to enable them to venture into Internet-based businesses or become freelance writers, for example.”

In short, Choo and Yam strongly feel that deaf-blind Malaysians should not be left behind by the technological advances that the country enjoys.

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