Diagnosed as deafblind at the age of three, Christa has always used her disability as a source of strength to create an inclusive community and champion deafblind awareness in Wallaceburg.
Deafblindness is a dual sensory impairment of hearing and sight, affecting the person’s ability to communicate, access information and navigate through their environment. A deafblind person is not always completely deaf or completely blind, though in all cases, both senses are impaired enough that the person cannot depend on either of them to give them reliable information about the environment around them.
Christa delivering Community Living Wallaceburg Box Lunch meals to Chatham-Kent Police.
Christa’s journey begins with her time at the W. Ross MacDonald School for the blind and deafblind (WRMS). She attended WRMS from the age of 6 to 21 years old and while it gave her opportunities to travel and experience many new things, she was missing that aspect of developing a presence in her own local community. After graduation, with the help of Canadian Deafblind Association and Community Living Wallaceburg, she transitioned to her new home in Wallaceburg with her housemate Alan. By returning back to Wallaceburg, Christa was better able to create an impact, give back and get involved in her hometown.
One of the barriers Christa and her family continue to face is educating people on deafblindness. It’s a “challenge explaining what deafblind is, correcting those assumptions people have and recognizing the fact that deafblindness is a vast spectrum and everyone is different” says Sandy, Christa’s mother.
Christa’s way of connecting with her world is through her family, friends, Community Living Wallaceburg team, volunteering and participating in her local community. She actively partakes in local food drives, Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay For Life, Terry Fox Walk, Community Living Wallaceburg’s Annual Golf Classic and Box Lunch fundraiser, and makes baked goods for Chatham-Kent first responders and retirement homes (just to name a few).
Sandy, Christa’s mother says, “Even though almost everything Christa does is with assistance, it doesn’t make what she is doing less important. Christa can dream, overcome, achieve her goals and be a valued, contributing member of society.”
This year with the support of Community Living Wallaceburg, Christa is helping spread awareness about Deafblind Awareness Month through a global initiative called yarn bombing. Yarn bombing is a form of street art where yarn that is knitted, crocheted, or wrapped, decorates an object in a public space to build awareness about deafblindness on a global scale in a fun and captivating way.
Throughout the month of May and June, various types and sizes knitted and crocheted squares were donated to Community Living Wallaceburg to create beautiful art installations around Wallaceburg. Through yarn bombing, Christa and Community Living Wallaceburg were able to increase awareness of deafblindness as a unique disability within Wallaceburg and Chatham-Kent.
Christa, her mom Sandy and Community Living Wallaceburg team yarn bombing objects around Wallaceburg.
With a smile and laugh, Christa celebrates the incredible impact she was able to create in her local community.
The art displays will remain up for the rest of June and we encourage everyone to join in by wrapping yarn over an object in your front yard to help raise awareness. We challenge you to see how many yarn bombing art installations you can spot around Wallaceburg. Tag us in your photos and use the hashtag #spottedinWallaceburg for a chance to be featured on our social media channels.