The Verses That Make Us: A Personal Journey Through Change
VICTA Changemakers Blindness Awareness Month By Ellie Wallwork In mid September, I stood on a stage with a band arrayed behind me, four pages of braille paper clutched in my hand. I'm an actor but I felt the most acute stage fright of my life, voice caught in my throat and knees shaking as if I had run a marathon. I didn't think the words would come - until I started to speak. I hadn't thought of myself as a poet. I used to tap words out on a keyboard when I [...]
The pros and cons of having a guide dog or cane
VICTA Changemakers Blindness Awareness Month Ruqaiya qualified with Guide Dog Bertie in April 2023. She chats about some of the pros and cons of owning a Guide Dog, the things she hadn't thought about and the positive things Bertie brings to her life as a university student. Find out more by watching Ruqaiya's video below. Don't forget to give @VICTAUK a like and subscribe on YouTube to stay up-to-date with our latest videos. By Ruqaiya Asim You can also find me Instagram, TikTok and YouTube @ruqaiya.art
University and work journey | Blindness Awareness Month
VICTA Changemakers Blindness Awareness Month My name is Bilaal Ali. I'm 21 years old and live in Sheffield with my family and I’m severely blind. I have a syndrome called BBS (bbsuk.org.uk) which affects my eyesight, overweightness and slight learning difficulty. Despite having this rare condition, I always work hard and am determined to not let anything get in my way of life and just carry on thriving. I’m an undergraduate student at Sheffield Hallam University studying accounting and finance. I’m currently on my placement year after completing the first two years [...]
Be inspired. VI art student Millie-Jayne’s digital art
Image description: A high contrast digital image. The background image is an abstract photo that has been flooded with colour - bright pink and dark grey, a person is just visible in the centre of the image. In the top-right corner a white flower is overlaid over the other image with transparency allowing the background colours to show through. In the bottom-left there is a blue image overlaid of a tulip with bright yellow accents. Braille dots have been overlaid over the image reading: 'Better to be blind and see with your heart than have two [...]
New opportunity – TPT online events to help you with transitions
Thomas Pocklington Trust have launched a series of online events to support you in approaching the key transitional stages of your education as a blind or partially sighted student Whether you’re in secondary school, attending college or sixth form, starting university or thinking about employability, they can provide you with the information, advice and support you need to move through mainstream education. The online events that will address three key topics to aid you in transitioning to the next stage of your education: #SocialEyes – socialising and social wellbeing #FutureVision – forward and future [...]
New opportunity – Raise awareness with The Macular Society
The Macular Society is reaching out to find students passionate about raising awareness about the macular condition and how it also occurs in young people. They are looking for university students and/or prospective students who have a macular condition (mainly has central vision loss, such as Stargardts) and are willing/comfortable to share a little bit about their eye condition and their experiences. They'd like to share with other young people your experiences of being a student or preparing to be a university student, for example, applying for the DSA grant, getting orientated and living in [...]
UCAS Deadline Day 2023
With UCAS deadline day approaching on 25 January 2023 it's the perfect time to visit the University resources on the Student Portal! You'll find links to help with everything from choosing your course, writing personal statements, clearing and disability support. You can also hear first hand from students studying at university who have vision impairments themselves. Visit the university resources for 14 to 17s Visit the university resources for 18 plus You Can Succeed; UCAS and Starting University By Natalia Foster "UCAS and University, two small but quite [...]
Opportunity focus – PhD scholarship opportunity
Scholarship opportunity from the Lady Margaret Skiffington Trust In July 2022, the Sir James Mackenzie Institute for Early Diagnosis, which is part of the School of Medicine at the University of St. Andrews, was granted approximately £99,000.00 to offer a PhD opportunity to an individual with sight loss. The PhD will be a four year, fully funded opportunity with student stipend, and offers a fantastic opportunity to join a world leading Research Institute at the University of St. Andrews. The Institute has asked us to share this unique opportunity with you. Please read their information below [...]
STRiVE: My route to employment
by George Upfield I should warn you, my route to employment is quite a long and convoluted story, so get comfy! I suppose the first time I realised where I wanted to work was not long after I started volunteering with Guide Dogs at their Regional Centre in Leamington Spa. I was 16. I sensed there was a real ‘family atmosphere’ throughout the organisation. And in addition to this, I knew that I’d need a guide dog to help me navigate when I left school for university. Somehow, I felt that I wanted to return the favour in [...]
STRiVE: Is university for me?
by Ruqaiya Asim After finishing college this year (2021), decided I wanted to go to university to carry on doing Fine Art. However, I kept asking myself, did I really want to go to university or not. I had several questions floating around in my head. How did I know university was the right choice for me? What else could I do if not a degree? What other options are out there? It took me awhile to decide what I wanted to do. I’m going to share with you what I did and why I made the choice [...]
