With three qualifications under her belt and over twenty years of work as a proof-reader and librarian for the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind, Anne Clarke is not stupid.

"Yet," she says, "for some reason, people still shout at me and talk with a primitive level of vocabulary when they find out that I am deafblind - I can't cope with that at all."

Anne was registered as blind not long after the outbreak of World War II, when she was three, and by age eleven had also started to lose her hearing.

These challenges didn't stop her from completing her secondary school education and going on to obtain a BA in French and Latin (Auckland University) and much later a Certificate of the New Zealand Library Association and a Bachelor of Divinity (Otago University).

However Anne says that while blindness has shaped the course of her life, it is her hearing impairment that has caused recurring frustration (frustration that deafblind individuals all over New Zealander can empathise with).

"My hearing loss is such that I am still able to understand speech in some situations but blindness prevents me from lip-reading, so I need alternative communication methods in environments where I am unable to hear speech."

For Anne this meant that at school and university she needed to do a bit of background reading to catch up on what she missed in tutorials and lectures.

In social and business settings, Anne uses a combination of speech and a 'whizzy wee' machine called a Tellatouch, a portable device which has a normal typewriter keyboard that produces a temporary Braille output.

"What this means is that I can carry on conversations in very noisy environments and I am able to get every word - instead of some or most.

"It also means that a whole range of people can communicate with me - as long as they have one finger to type with, I can 'listen' by reading the Braille translation."

On a day to day basis Anne converses with her neighbour, friends and acquaintances.

"The biggest communication challenge is getting the message across to people that being deafblind does not mean they can't communicate with me - all it takes is their will to do so."

Speech and the Tellatouch are not Anne's only choices as far as communication goes. She is also familiar with the deafblind manual alphabet.

"I guess in deafblind terms I'm multi-lingual, although I don't use the manual alphabet very often, I have found it is great in very noisy or very quiet situations," she says.

Once a fortnight, Anne enjoys the company of a communicator for shopping, appointments and general business.

"Depending on the situation we are in, Margaret will either verbally relay information to me, or use the Tellatouch."

"Having Margaret's assistance once a fortnight helps me keep on top of my bills, banking and groceries as well as ensuring that I understand all information being spoken during medical and dental appointments."

"Her help is invaluable to me and our fortnightly routine is one I look forward to."

Anne Clarke considers herself to be one of the fortunate ones.

"I live a very full life," she says, "I enjoy cooking, keeping up with my interests in theology, converting years of hand-brailled notes to computer files, listening to classical music, reading and relaxing by walking my guide dog Nelson."

She believes that communication is the key.

"Despite my many communication options, I can still feel isolated and I know that many other New Zealanders who are deafblind experience the same sense of aloneness.

"There are situations where we feel very detached and cut off from the outside world. Some may not be supported by caring neighbours, friends and family and they may not have a communicator available to them."