On Monday afternoon, The Lakeshore Library in Innisfil was 'Yard Bombed' by DeafBlind Ontario Services, with colourful, tactile art installations.
The initiative hopes to raise awareness about deafblindness.
Approximately one per cent of Canada’s population is deafblind. DeafBlind Ontario Services provides an array of services to people who are Deaf, hard of hearing, non-verbal and deafblind that are customized to each individual’s unique needs, method of communication, and goals to enrich their life.
Yarn bombing is an activity that takes knitted, crocheted or loomed squares of yarn and attaches them to objects or structures in public places as a form of street art. Spearheaded by Deafblind International, this initiative is uniting countries around theworld to build a better understanding about persons who are deafblind.
With June designated as National Deafblind Awareness Month across Canada, individuals who receive supports and services from DeafBlind Ontario Services are joining friends, families, knitting clubs and community members across the province on a virtual scale to yarn bomb in various communities. June is the birth month of Helen Keller, one of the most internationally recognized people with deafblindness.
Yarn bombing has been a unique way to connect people virtually to express themselves through their yarn creations and share their efforts on social media.
Roxanna Spruyt, CEO of DeafBlind Ontario Services notes that: “yarn bombing offers a great way to safely draw attention to our awareness efforts, especially for those who do not know anything about deafblindness.”
To help spread awareness, community objects and landmarks across Canada will be yarn bombed throughout the month of June. This initiative symbolizes the coming together of people in the field of deafblindness with the goal of sparking conversation about the experience of and need for appropriate services for individuals who are deafblind.
DeafBlind Ontario Services provides an array of services to people who are Deaf, hard of hearing, non-verbal and deafblind that are customized to each individual’s unique needs, method of communication, and goals to enrich their life.
