My journey of a lifetime with JOLT
My name is Charlie Beeston. I am a 15 year old student from Lincoln living with a visual Impairment. In 2018 my life was changed forever. I was called into the head teacher’s office at school where she informed me of an opportunity of a lifetime with a charity called Jolt. They take disadvantaged young people on a journey of a lifetime. I spent four weeks in the summer of 2018 trekking through Ecuador, Peru and the Galapagos Islands. Here is my summer story: It all started off in the Amazon Rainforest. After two full days travelling we were [...]
20 recommended apps for a person who has a visual impairment
Mobile phones, tablets and voice activated devices have revolutionised the way people who are visually impaired interact and use technology. Here is our list of great apps to download to make the most out of your device. 1. Tap Tap See TapTapSee is a mobile camera application designed specifically for visually impaired users. TapTapSee utilises your device’s camera and VoiceOver functions to take a picture or video of anything and identify it out loud for you. Double-tap the right side of the screen to take a picture or double-tap the left side of the screen to take a video. [...]
Accessing the ‘true’ university experience by Idil Serce
Deciding to go to university can be a daunting thought for all students but especially for those of us who are visually impaired. From the process of applying to university to balancing the demands of student life and study, it can be a roller coaster for all but none more than the VI student. And on occasions I was overwhelmed. But I found ways of coping and put strategies in place that allowed me to enjoy my time at university and graduate with a first class honours degree. Take my advice, make the most of all of your experiences [...]
My journey conquering the visual industry!
By Ruqaiya Asim Ever since I was little, I’ve had a passion to be creative. From an early age I knew I wanted to go into art, however I didn’t realise how challenging this would be. Being a young person going through sight loss and trying to tackle the visual industry isn’t an easy task, but one I strive to triumph. I don’t want any other visually impaired person to feel as though they can’t achieve something because of what society makes us think. I want to help the VI community understand that they can aspire to do what [...]
Surviving education as a blind or visually impaired student – By Holly Tuke
This time of year always reminds me of my own journey in education, right from the start of primary school and all the way through to university. I remember the anxious wait for my GCSE and A level results, and the mix of emotions of moving onto the next chapters of my life. I often find myself reflecting on my time in education around this time of year. I attended mainstream school, and then went onto university. My time in education was a bit of a rollercoaster, but I got through it and came out with the grades I [...]
How health and fitness helped me manage my mental health when I became blind
By Ibraheem Iqbal Hi everyone, my name is Ibraheem, but you can call me Ibz. I am proud to be one of VICTA’s Young Ambassadors. I have been given the opportunity to write an article about mental health in this issue. I will begin to outline what is meant by health and fitness then I will talk about my own experiences and lastly the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and tips towards achieving it. Before I begin, I would like to make the reader aware that this content may be sensitive to some people. If at any point [...]
The importance of healthy eating to improve wellbeing
My name is Harriet and this is my first article for Strive. I am 29 years old, and have an interest in cooking and healthy eating. With this in mind, I wanted to write an article about how eating healthily can effect and improve wellbeing and the science behind it. Here is what I found out. If you sometimes feel depressed or experience changes in your mood on a regular basis, adjusting your diet can dramatically decrease or prevent these feelings. We all know about eating a balanced diet, but there are more subtle changes you can make to [...]
Maintaining a Positive Mindset as a vision impaired person
Hello! I’m Elin, a 22-year-old from North Wales. I currently split my time between working as a Social Media and Communications Officer in the charity sector, studying a part-time degree with The Open University and writing about all things vision impairment, music and fashion on my blog, My Blurred World. I was diagnosed with the degenerative eye condition, Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), when I was six-years-old, this was three years after my initial symptoms were noted. I was registered blind/severely sight impaired when I was twelve and I like to describe my eyesight as being an old camera which is [...]
Gaining new skills and confidence through the Infinity Pilot Project
After taking part in this unique project provided by The British Exploring Society (BES) and The Jubilee Sailing Trust (JST) Roesie and her mother Angela were interviewed regarding her experiences: How and why did you hear about the Infinity programme and BES? Roesie - I saw it advised on the VICTA website, literally by chance. What thoughts and feeling did you have when you first signed up? (i.e. anxious, nervous, excited) Roesie - I was terrified, I was not confident at all. Angela (Rosie’s Mother) – Roesie can loose confidence, she has high levels of anxiety What were you [...]
Have you thought about… playing rugby? By Archard
by Archard Yabsley My name is Archard Yabsley, I am 17, have a visual impairment and I play rugby; a sport that at first glance may appear as far from appropriate for the partially sighted as is possible. However after five years of playing, I have no doubt that Rugby is one of the most suitable and accessible sports for children and adults with sight difficulties. The advantage that rugby union has over other sports is its variety of positions and responsibilities. Take a look at any rugby team, right from the grassroots up to the internationals, you’ll find [...]
