This week marks the end of a very special journey: our Social Haptic Communication course for people with deafblindness. Looking back, I never imagined how much could be communicated without relying on sight or hearing.
Every week we learned new haptics signs and techniques, but the real learning happened at home. We practised every day, turning individual words into part of our daily routine. That consistency made all the difference.
Halfway through the course, we decided to test our new skills during a visit to the zoo. At that point, we only knew a limited number of haptics signs, but even with that small vocabulary we moved around much more safely than I had expected. It took a lot of concentration and energy from both of us, but it proved that we were already making progress.
By the second-to-last lesson, something special happened. Without thinking about it, we naturally started forming sentences instead of using individual words. It was one of those moments where you realise how far you’ve come simply by practising every day.
The final lessons focused on orientation and mobility. We learned how to describe the layout of a room by tracing it on the back of the person with deafblindness, allowing them to build a mental map before entering. Knowing where the doors, tables, and walkways are makes unfamiliar places much easier and safer to navigate.
We didn’t leave those exercises in the classroom. We created tactile maps of our home, made small changes to our living room to improve orientation, and practised in places like our community centre and municipal building. Watching Codee confidently find her way using the mental map we’d created together showed us just how practical these techniques really are.
This course is only the beginning. Our next step will be learning sign language, and we’re currently on the waiting list. Before our trip to Lesbos, we learned a few essential signs, and since then we’ve been using the Signio app to expand our vocabulary in a fun way. For now, though, we’re focused on making haptics communication our natural way of communicating before adding another language.
Our goal has never been to complete a course just to earn a certificate. We want to build skills that make everyday life easier, safer, and more independent—especially when we travel together.
As we finished the course, our instructors told us they were genuinely impressed with the progress we had made over the past few months. Hearing that meant a great deal to both of us and confirmed that our daily practice had truly paid off.
The course may be over, but our journey certainly isn’t. This autumn, our group will meet again to share experiences and take two additional lessons with new techniques. Until then, we’ll keep practising, because every new skill brings a little more confidence, a little more independence, and another step forward together.
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