Facts

The purpose of this section is to present you with a few key facts about acquired deafblindness in Denmark.

In Denmark there are an estimated 200 persons under the age of 70 years with acquired deafblindness. The primary cause for deafblindness in this group is Usher syndrome in one of its three types (though type III seems to be virtually non-existing in Denmark).

Until recently it was estimated that there were about 900 persons with age-related acquired deafblindness. However, an analysis made by the Information Center in 2006 of scientific studies and surveys from Norway, Sweden, USA, Australia and Denmark indicate that the actual number is between 8,500 and 15,000 elderly persons over the age of 80 with a combination of a visual and hearing impairment of a certain severity. Most of these will probably be considered deafblind according to the definition used in Denmark.