Visionary 2016 and AET course completion....

Visionary 2016 was a really enjoyable couple of days which felt like a big personal achievement as well as a professional one. I did have some nerves leading up to it, especially because it was an unfamiliar venue and there would be lots of people there. It went very smoothly, with the valuable support of my personal assistant and Wiltshire Sight colleagues. The staff at Aston Conference Centre, Birmingham were also very helpful. I attended various workshops including a very interesting one on employability for visually impaired people and also information on a project looking at Access to Work and people's experiences of it. It was interesting talking to various people related to eye health and to talk to professional people who are also living with visual impairment.

Wiltshire Sight were presented with an award for 'Best partnership in practice' for our one stop event and the way we work well with other organisations. It was a great recognition of our work to support visually impaired people.

Following Visionary 2016, I completed my Level 3 Award in Education and Training which involved delivering a micro teach session on visual impairment. The micro teach went well with plenty of positive feedback, despite the mishap of using the timer to count down instead of counting up - it beeped eight minutes into the training! I enjoyed the course, it complimented my work, added to my skills and it is an accomplishment to be qualified as a trainer.

Exciting professional events....

Sight Expo 2016 was a really successful event with over one hundred people visiting it. My talk was very well received, there were about fourteen people who attended. I didn't have many questions throughout the talk but at the end there were quite a few people from different organisations who wanted to talk to me. I really enjoyed the experience, discussing the ways in which the challenges of sight loss can be overcome to a greater or lesser extent and that many positive experiences still happen, regardless of any impairments. Being visually impaired should not stop you from achieving your goals in life, you just may need to take a slightly different route.

My Award in Education and Training course is continuing well, I have completed two of the three units and the associated assignments. It is challenging fitting it into my already busy life, especially now work has become busy again after the summer. It is hard achieving a good work/family/study balance but that is a challenge that seems to face everyone these days. It continues to benefit the training that I'm delivering to care homes and I can see how I can improve my own training methods.

At Wiltshire Sight we are preparing for the Visionary 2016 conference which takes place on the 20th and 21st October. We will be delivering a workshop about how the Looking Out For Sight project has used research, strategy and action to influence professionals in the social care sector. It will be an exciting event, it brings together sight loss charities and organisations across the country so that ideas and practices can be shared. I'm rather apprehensive about attending the event because it is always challenging when I'm among lots of people who I'm not familiar with and I'm very aware that it's a professional setting and I want to make a good impression and be a good representation of Wiltshire Sight. I often miss what is going on around me, due to my lack of periphery vision and I do not always realise when someone is talking to me. I've also visions of knocking over wine glasses at dinner which is rather embarrassing! However, I won't be the only visually impaired person. This is what I really love about working in eye health area, I am not alone and there are many who understand the challenges I may have.

This event will be a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness of project and to learn more about subjects relating to visual impairment through attending the different workshops. We will be staying overnight and attending the awards dinner. It will be an exciting couple of days.

Studying again and public speaking.....

The studio interview at Radio Wiltshire went really well at the end of June. I was really nervous but I felt well prepared with my mind map of information about the Looking Out For Sight project. However, the presenter, Graham Seaman, caught me completely off guard when he start asking questions about myself and my experiences of visual impairment! I had to think very quickly because I hadn't expected those questions, in particular he asked how my family were affected by my sight which I was unsure how to answer. Somehow I didn't pause for too long and I responded positively saying that we adapt and remain positive. I did talk about the Wiltshire Sight project, but there was so much that I didn't get time to say. When I listened to it afterwards, I was really happy with the interview, it sounded interesting, gave an insight into living with sight loss and it also informed listeners about the Looking Out For Sight project.

Towards the end of July, as part of my role at Wiltshire Sight, I registered for an online training course with BBE Training. Once completed, I will have the Award in Education and Training Level 3. This is a very valuable course for my current job role in training others and it is transferable to other jobs and areas of life. It is teaching me about how to deliver effective teaching and enable learners to learn about a subject to the best of their ability, while considering their individual needs. It is very interesting and it is reinforcing and adding to the knowledge I have already gained throughout the Looking Out For Sight project. It is hard studying throughout the summer when I would rather be outside enjoying the sunshine with our children. However, it will be worth it, and it is a good time to study whilst it is quieter at work.
It is nearly time for Sight Expo 2016, an event on 6th September, organised by Wiltshire Sight which gives individuals the opportunity to attend a couple of talks about sight loss and to visit an exhibition of technology that can assist you if you are visually impaired. There will also be exhibitors from different organisations linked to people affected by sight loss. I was asked to be one of the speakers, and I am currently writing my talk. I plan to discuss the effects of living with sight loss, including the impact it has on the whole family. I am mainly presenting all the positives, despite my sight loss I have achieved a great deal and continue to aim high with my ambitions. It is daunting, I have never presented a talk about myself before but it is an amazing opportunity and I'm looking forward to it.