With nearly two decades of experience, Núria Bustamante Senabre has dedicated her career to supporting people with deafblindness as an intervener and social worker. Her journey began with a passion for sign language and grew into a lifelong commitment to inclusion, communication, and personalised care.
In this interview, Núria shares with us her professional background, what a typical day looks like in her role, the unique challenges of deafblind communication, and the urgent need for greater awareness and tailored resources. Her insights shed light on the vital role of interveners and the importance of building meaningful, person-centred connections.
Question: What is your professional background, and how did you become an intervener?
I’m a qualified Social Worker (University Diploma), and a Sign Language Interpreter and Guide-Interpreter (Higher Vocational Training). While I was studying to become a social worker, I enrolled in some sign language courses and really enjoyed them. After completing the four levels, I signed up for the vocational training course to become an interpreter and to better understand deaf people. As part of that course, we had a subject on deafblindness, and one day Ricard López (President of APSOCECAT and EDbN) came to give a talk. After the session, I went to speak with him, and he invited me to take part in a weekend activity. That’s where I had my first contact with people with congenital deafblindness. I continued as a volunteer with the organisation, and later they offered me a job as a social worker. And here I am! I’ve always combined direct support work with office tasks and case follow-up.
Question: Can you describe what an intervener does and what a typical workday is like for you?
Each case has a specific support schedule, with goals to work on (PIA – Individual Support Programme). The support is provided wherever the person with deafblindness is: in a residential home, a workshop, at their own home… it depends on the case. You introduce yourself using your personal sign, and then begin the session. In my case, I spend more time in the office coordinating cases, and I also provide occasional support services for people with acquired deafblindness: going with them to medical appointments, attending meetings, helping with paperwork, etc.
Question: What inspired you to become an intervener, and what keeps you passionate about your work?
I love that each case is different. You have to adapt to the person in order to build a good connection and achieve positive results. There are people I’ve known for many years, and I’ve seen them grow and evolve. Making small achievements on all levels — political, economic, personal, professional — is what drives us to keep going. We need to continue to raise awareness of this disability and ensure that the right resources are made available.
Question: What are some of the biggest communication challenges you face, and how do you overcome them together with the person you support?
Supporting someone with congenital deafblindness is very different from supporting someone with acquired deafblindness. For people with congenital deafblindness, it’s important to receive a thorough handover and understand at least some of their individual communication methods. You also need to be highly observant and responsive to their non-verbal communication.
In some cases, there are behavioral issues caused by the frustration of not being able to express pain or discomfort — that’s always a challenge. With people who have acquired deafblindness, the need to express themselves and feel heard is often very strong, as few people know how to communicate with them. They make the most of those moments of connection, which help to break their isolation.
Question: What are some of the misconceptions or lack of awareness you encounter from the general public or institutions that make your work as an intervener more difficult?
Disability support and resources are often divided into physical or intellectual disability, without proper recognition of sensory disabilities. There is a real lack of understanding about deafblindness and a lack of specific resources, such as day centres and residential facilities. Because of this, people with deafblindness often don’t fit into existing services, and they end up facing even more discrimination. Supporting people with deafblindness requires one-to-one attention, which involves a high professional cost. But as a society, we should be able to provide for this. So raising awareness and providing appropriate resources is essential.