System of care for people with deafblindness in the Czech Republic

This thesis deals with deafblind people and their lives. The work investigates how the system of care for these people works in the Czech Republic and how the clients themselves are satisfied with this care. The introductory theoretical part provides basic information about dual sensory impairment, it explains the concept of "deafblindness", describes its classification, etiology and diagnosis. Attention is also given to several fundamental pillars of care of people with deafblindness, such as communication, education, social services, career success, socialization, aids, etc. Second part of this thesis consists of research that has been done using questionnaires with aim to determine how the care of the deafblind is implemented in the Czech Republic and how it is evaluated by particular clients. Survey results have provided personal reference of deafblind individuals about services, organizations and aids, about their frequency and availability. Keywords Dual sensory impairment, deafblindness, sheltered housing, communication systems, organization, people with visual and hearing impairments, aids, employment, social welfare, education