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Coronavirus: 'Lockdown made me feel like I was in prison'

John Nicholl is registered deafblind.

The County Antrim man was born deaf and was later diagnosed with Ushers syndrome, a condition that has left him with very little sight.

He communicates through hands-on sign language and as a result was left extremely isolated during periods of lockdown in Northern Ireland.

There are around 400,000 people who are deafblind in the UK with 11,000 registered in Northern Ireland.

Deafblind UK say it is handling three times more wellbeing calls than it did before the pandemic.

Video journalist: Niall McCracken

24 January 2021

Coronavirus lockdown measures

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