Richard steps out to support peers

11:41am Sunday 11th May 2008

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AN epileptic man unable to fully understand what he sees and hears because of a childhood brain tumour is completing a walk for charity.

Carers cannot explain to Richard Pearson, aged 34, of Malvern, who is deafblind, why he is walking the Vision 5K in Birmingham because of his complex disability.

But the keen walker's effort will help benefit thousands of people in the UK with both hearing and sight impairment raising vital funds for the deafblind care charity Sense.

Mr Pearson is tackling the Cannon Hill Park walk with Wayne Whittaker, manager of Malvern residential care home Tanglewood, and Olly Potts, aged 27, his support worker.

Mr Whittaker, who has known Mr Pearson 15 years, said: "Richard can see and hear but his issue is a brain processing disability.

"We have no way of knowing precisely how much he understands of what he does hear and see." At the age of six, Mr Pearson had a brain tumour which was removed but left him with epilepsy and unable to properly process all the nerve signals from his eyes and ears.

Oringinally from Derbyshire, he moved to Tanglewood from another Sense residential home in Birmingham in 2005.

Despite his disability and a limited vocabulary, Mr Pearson can communicate with family, friends and carers using a box containing symbols and signs and he has been taught through object association.

For example, he can ask for a drink by showing a picture of a cup or by picking up a mug in the care home's communal kitchen cupboard.

Mr Pearson's passions are heavy metal music with a strong bass line, including Led Zeppelin, walks along the Malvern Hills and swimming, which all provide sensory stimulation.

Family members are supporting Mr Pearson at the charity bash which is being kicked off by 80s pop star Paul Young, on Sunday, May 18.

To sponsor the walkers visit justgiving.com/wayne 4sense or call Tanglewood on 01684 576231.