On saturday I submitted my study abroad application. I will be taking a year away from Coventry university to study in a Spanish speaking country. I had the option to either get a job or attend another university, considering I am very research focussed I didn’t even have to think about my answer. I have…
Author: Connor Scott-Gardner
What it’s Like to Look Blind
“I don’t want to look blind,” they say. I hear it time and time again in discussions with other people, those who have recently lost their sight and also those who have been blind since birth. “I’ll use sighted guide, if I walk with someone nobody will know.” “I won’t use a cane. I can’t…
Finding a cure: Navigating societal prejudice and the importance of choice
Facebook, that place where many of us share too much, myself included. I’m browsing through my news feed, past memes and discussions of religion. It’s then I hear it. Gene therapy. These words are not new to me, I first heard about studies that aim to treat my specific form of blindness when I was…
Studying Abroad for the Second Time
Most of you will know, but for those who don’t I’ll be spending next academic year studying in another country. I’m consumed with nervous excitement, with thoughts of planes and countries I have never visited before. I have always had the travel bug, but now more than ever I will get to live the dream….
Happy World Braille Day!
I started to learn braille when I was only a toddler. By the age of four and a half I entered school being able to read and write uncontracted braille. I then progressed onto grade 2 (contracted braille) and the maths and science codes. Braille was the foundation of my education. It enabled me to…
Four Years a Guide Dog Owner
It’s hard to believe that just over four years ago I started working with my first guide dog, Isla. We have attended two schools, started university, lived in another country and travelled to the US together. We are reaching our prime as a team, we’re at a stage where for the most part we work…
Being a blind student in 2016: A far cry from accessible
Being a student is many things. Being a blind student adds an extra layer onto all of them. For me, it has been laughter and friendship, discovering new places, selfie’s and food with great people. But it’s also been a pretty stressful experience, thanks to a lack of organisation on the part of my university….
When I Didn’t Have the Words
I only recently discovered the term ableism. Up until then I knew that being disabled changed the way people acted around me but I had no word to encompass what was happening. I struggled as a child to voice why I found the actions of other people so frustrating, why seemingly small things felt so…
I am not my dog
Having a dog can be a good thing. For some, it is a smoother, more effective way of travel. For others the cane is by far the better option. Both are perfectly valid experiences, what works for one blind person doesn’t for another. I have come to loathe the perception that my life must have…
Studying in Spain: an unforgettable experience
I’ve been back in England for 3 days now which is a bit hard to believe. Studying abroad has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had and I’m so glad that I made the decision this time last year to investigate it. It took almost 6 months to organise and I had no…