Usher Syndrome

A genetic condition that is the most common cause of combined deafness and blindness (deafblindness). It is characterized by sensorineural hearing loss present from birth and progressive vision loss from retinitis pigmentosa, which typically begins in adolescence or young adulthood. There are three clinical types varying in severity and onset. Most children with Usher Syndrome are raised in the Deaf community, learning sign language and fingerspelling rather than braille. As vision deteriorates, many resist learning braille because it is difficult to master as an adult and may feel like an admission of dual sensory loss. This makes fingerspelling-based communication tools particularly important for this population.