Bob Nolan recently celebrated his 50^th birthday and decided he needed a new challenge and an even greater challenge than he faces every single day of his life. Bob has been deaf since birth and is now going blind. He was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome in his mid twenties and has been aware of his impending blindness ever since. Indeed, Bob considers himself really fortunate to have reached 50 and to still have a little central vision and some useful hearing with the aid of powerful hearing aids. His wife, Louise, whom he met at school, has been profoundly deaf since birth, and they share “senses” – Bob can hear a little more than Louise, who provides the visual input for both of them. 

The Nolans are celebrating this milestone with an ambitious 1000-mile tandem bike ride from Land’s End to John o’Groat's this summer, leaving Lands End on 31st May.  Their aim is to raise much-needed funds for Deafblind Scotland.  Indeed, they would be delighted if their intrepid journey created sufficient interest and support to launch the fund for a new resource centre for deafblind people – a centre of excellence where deafblind people can be enabled to reach their full potential. This event, it is hoped, will launch Deafblind Scotland’s efforts to raise £1,000,000 for a new Resource Centre. 

Bob and Louise will ride every mile ‘in tandem’ with another pair of deaf cyclists, their childhood friends Martin and Abigail Willis from the south east of England, for mutual support and encouragement. It is also hoped that other riders will join the ‘pack’ at regular intervals along the way. 

There are 5,000 deafblind adults in Scotland, 25,000 UK-wide, all of whom have difficulty in accessing the simplest of information. Deafblind Scotland exists to ensure they have meaningful contact with the world and can provide everything from football scores to bus timetables in alternative formats. Deafblind Scotland also provides one to one communication and guiding support to deafblind individuals living alone in the community.  

Bob is the chairman of the charity whose aim is to serve adults who have lost, or are losing, both their hearing and sight. The tandem ride will coincide with Deafblind Awareness Week in Scotland and promises to be the adventure of a lifetime for the pedalling pair who will communicate by lip-reading in a rear-view mirror attached to the handlebars. 

Drena O’Malley, Deafblind Scotland’s Resources Manager added:  “Bob, is an inspiration to us all and a terrific role model for deafblind people who believe their active lives have prematurely come to an end.”

For more information about Deafblind Scotland please contact Drena O'Malley on (0141 777 6111) or (07774192659). Email drena@deafblindscotland.org.uk