Deafblind or not, employment contributes to not only to a person's financial wellbeing but also to their self-esteem.

Undeniably, being deafblind can pose significant barriers for those who want to work and those who have many skills to offer - most common being a lack of access to technology, communication difficulties and lack of understanding and support from employers.

Three deafblind individuals describe their experience in the working world - from full-time employment, to voluntary employment, to hopes of re-entering the workforce.

Fiona is responsible for packing plastic caps, and operating up to three machines by herself, she packages 3,500 caps a day.

Deafblind from birth as a result of rubella (German measles), Fiona has been in full time employment for the last 16 years.

"I love working and I love my job," says Fiona. "I have friends at work that I sit with at every break, most of them have worked with me for a long time too."

When Fiona's long day is over, she travels home by bus.

Profoundly deaf and with useful sight in one eye, Fiona says she communicates with a mixture of sign language, talking and writing things down.

"When I'm at work, I find I communicate more with my workmates by talking," says Fiona, "although sometimes it's not always easy for me to hear what they are saying."

She owns a house with her best friend Robyn who is also deafblind. Although visited regularly by a communicator guide who offers assistance, both women are very independent and do all of their own budgeting.

When she's not working, Fiona likes to unwind by exercising at the gym and with Robyn enjoys trips to Rainbow's End, Waiwera Hot Pools and visiting the Easter Show every year.

"I'm having a break from the gym at the moment though," Fiona says, "it's quite nice!"

Her voluntary work for New Zealand Vision Impaired Empowering Women organisation (NZVIEW), Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand Inc (ABC), and the Southland Kidney Society commits her to a lot of emailing, conference calls and meetings.

When her hearing loss was considerably less than it is now, Andrea worked for ten years as a toll operator. While Andrea loves her volunteer work she also aspires to re-enter the paid workforce.

"Having dual sensory loss is hard," says Andrea, "I would love to have a paid job but I know that employers have perceptions about deafblind people not being able to do a job properly."

With her emailing, typing and leadership skills, Andrea is more than capable of paid employment. But for now she says, her passion is to help new members of the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB) reach their full potential through her work with NZVIEW and ABC.

Keeping her just as busy as her voluntary work is motherhood. Andrea is the proud single mum of daughter Laura, aged 14 years and son Jarrod, aged 11 years. Adding to the household is guide dog, Radar.

"Being a mum," Andrea says, "deafblindness does pose some difficulties. Although born to it, the kids can get a little frustrated sometimes, particularly first thing in the morning when I don't have my hearing aids turned on!"

Andrea's hearing loss was initially detected when she was in her first year of primary school. Doctors believe it may have resulted from her contracting German measles at six months old.

She later developed an eye condition called Lebers Optical Atrophy, in her twenties, which caused the loss of her central vision.

"You always have to make the best of what you've got. That's all you can do...go with the flow."

Hearing impaired from birth, Peter wasn't really aware that his eyesight had been deteriorating from Retinitis Pigmentosa until he had his eyes checked in 1997.

With loss of sight added to his hearing impairment, as a result of Usher Syndrome, it meant that getting across the 8,000 acre sheep and beef farm he worked on was no longer an easy feat.

He continued shepherding on the Hawke's Bay farm but as his eyesight deteriorated further, Peter lost his driver's licence.

No car licence and some occupational safety and health issues created huge barriers for Peter's shepherding job, where he travelled about the farm using a motorbike on a daily basis.

"Once I had my car licence taken off me because of my eye condition, I couldn't use the motorbike on the road," says Peter.

"It meant I could no longer continue doing my job which was upsetting," says Peter. "I loved working on the farm and my boss didn't want me to leave either, but that's the way it goes."

After getting over the knock to his confidence, Peter has recently enrolled with Workbridge, the employment service that helps place people who have all types of disabilities into work.

"I really want to get back into working again," says Peter. "I'm capable of doing a lot of things."

With his love of woodwork and clever with his hands, Peter has been making his neighbours a gift.

"It's a welcome sign to go above their door," says Peter who remains positive about what he has accomplished in life.

"I want to work again, but I also think I'm really lucky to have done what I have over the years."

Helen Keller Communication Day on 27 June celebrates not only Helen Keller's life achievements, but the achievements of deafblind people worldwide.

Please call us if you would like to hear about the achievements and experiences of deafblind people living in your area.