Imagine what it is like to be blind...
Imagine what it is like to also be deaf...

You cannot see.
You cannot hear.

How do you communicate with other people?

How do you carry out your profession?
How do you flirt?
How do you do your shopping?
How do you find your way round in a new town or city?
How do you go about your hobbies?

Just imagine how you would cope with these ordinary every day situations - perhaps that will make it easier for you to understand the problems an individual suffering from Usher-Syndrome faces every day.

A person affected by Usher-Syndrome is born either deaf or with hearing deficiency and will in the course of time experience progressive vision loss, in most cases to the point of blindness.

Due to the slowly progressive nature of the illness, Usher-Syndrome will usually be diagnosed at an age when the affected person has already made or is about to make important decisions with respect to career and family planning.

The diagnosis causes fear and confusion.
Fear of the loss of career and financial security.
Fear of the loss of life style and life's enriching experiences.
Fear of being branded disabled.
Fear of the need to rely on others for help and to have to ask for it.
Fear of not being able to finding a partner who is prepared to face and share the difficulties involved.
Fear of a lonely life.

Apart from the difficulty of having to compensate for the loss of vital senses it also means having to cope with the considerable emotional impact of the illness.

Due to the dual impairment of the senses which most people would classify as the most important, Usher-Syndrome is an extremely serious and debilitating illness.