Aquired Deafblindness and Coping Strategies in Ethiopia: The Case of Three Women with Acquired Deafblindness in Relation to Social Connectedness Theory

Abstract
Deafblindness in Ethiopia is the least understood and the most neglected disability. Women with disability in developing countries are the most disadvantaged and the most neglected population with double jeopardy. This is the second ever study in the country studied next to “Baseline Survey in the Situation of deafblindness in Ethiopia”. The main objective of this study is to investigate women with acquired deafblindness who are struggling with triple jeopardy, Deafness, Blindness and being a woman in a patriarchal country like Ethiopia and their coping strategy in relation to social connectedness theory. Social connectedness is an ongoing momentary affective experience of belonging based on awareness and appraisals of social relationships and interactions. Snowball and purposive sampling techniques were employed in selecting the samples. Interview with a tactile sign language interpreter was the main instrument of the study. Among the findings, all of them reported that they cope by distancing them from the public and staying at home lacking two components of social awareness; the sense of being in touch, and the sense of involvement and sharing. This is not good not only for the family but also for their futurity and other young deafblind people who really need role models who became self dependent coping with deafblindness. This shows that they have less or no social connectedness with the neighbors and the community at large. From this, it could be recommended that the government, the association, professionals and other stakeholders should work hand in hand to let the women with acquired deafblindness integrate in the society and enjoy their human rights in the country.