Bianca Van der Schyff

Love beyond distance : consent, communication, autonomy and support

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Theme: Love Beyond Words — Dignity, Boundaries, Belonging Quote for the Month: “Consent is love’s first language.” – Unknown When Love Is Not Close — But Still Real Love is often imagined as proximity: being near, being present, being able to see, hear, or touch. But for many people — including DeafBlind people — love… Continue Reading Love beyond distance : consent, communication, autonomy and support

Oshun and the lessons of healthy love

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Oshun shows us what love truly looks like — and why dignity, consent, and community matter.

What happens when a voice is ignored, a presence unseen, or care withheld? Sometimes, life slows. Rivers weaken. Relationships falter.

This February, we explore healthy love through the story of Oshun, and what it teaches DeafBlind people — and all of us — about listening, boundaries, and quiet rebuilding.

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Quiet understanding : the DeafBlind way of integrating their world

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January is not a month of rushing forward. It is a month of settling. Of letting what we lived last year find its place inside us. For DeafBlind people, this is especially important, because we do not receive the world all at once. We receive it through touch, timing, body signals, partial words, emotional tone,… Continue Reading Quiet understanding : the DeafBlind way of integrating their world

A quiet ending to a demanding year

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2025 is ending without a single moment we can point to and say: “This is when everything changed.” There was no new Disability Act passed. No dramatic turning point. No single announcement that resolved long-standing barriers. Instead, this year moved quietly. Laws and policies continued to align with the principles of the UN Convention on… Continue Reading A quiet ending to a demanding year

Include your DeafBlind loved one

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Participation Grows When Contribution Is Possible Including DeafBlind People in Festivities Festive seasons are meant to be about togetherness — sharing food, stories, laughter, and moments that matter. They are full of movement, sound, colour, and spontaneous connection. For many DeafBlind people, participation in these moments does not happen automatically. Not because we don’t want… Continue Reading Include your DeafBlind loved one

Lesson 10 : men who honour women’s leadership

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Men Who Honour Women’s Leadership The ANC Women’s League taught the country many lessons — courage, unity, strategy — but there is another lesson that is often forgotten: Their movement was strengthened by men who respected their leadership. Not men who tried to take charge, not men who tolerated them as an afterthought, but men… Continue Reading Lesson 10 : men who honour women’s leadership

Lesson 9 : Strategic patience

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Strategic Patience — The Discipline That Sustains Movements The ANC Women’s League taught us a quiet but powerful truth: lasting change is built slowly, steadily, and strategically. They didn’t only march. They organised for years between the marches. They prepared women’s committees, education circles, food networks, safe planning houses, and messaging strategies long before any… Continue Reading Lesson 9 : Strategic patience