WIREDGOV

Teenager Emma Gaylard has a severe visual and hearing impairment but one of her proudest moments so far was when she drove a car for the very first time.

Thanks to the support of Sense, the charity that supports people who are deafblind, have sensory impairments or complex needs, which received a grant from the Big Lottery Fund to provide tailored support for 50 deafblind and multi-sensory impaired young people across South-East Wales, not only has the 18-year-old from Newport got behind the wheel but she has also sang at the Royal Albert Hall.

Watch the life-changing moment when Emma drove a car.

“A day was organised with Sense and a driving school that does days where people with disabilities can be taught how to drive a car on a track. I didn’t know how well I’d get on with it, and I was really nervous but after I finished the actual driving the instructor said that I was really good. It was brilliant being able to drive – something I never thought I’d do! 
 
“We went to the top floor of St David’s car park in Cardiff, and I because I couldn’t see I got a bit scared and thought I might drive off the edge! I’ve done proper driving, parking between cones, and driving around corners.

“The driving instructors were really helpful for me to tell me how much I needed to turn the wheel, how fast I needed to go – they needed to be clear because I’m multi-sensory impaired and it’s a lot harder for me to do even simple driving. I couldn’t see where I was going! I had so much fun that I did it again on another day in Cribbs Causeway, Bristol!

“I feel like I’m much more like a mainstream person my age who has been able to learn to drive, even though I’m deafblind. Why shouldn’t I be given the opportunity to drive a car? I’ve done it!”

Emma’s condition has been with her for almost her entire life, and has severely impaired her vision and hearing, making it difficult to do even the most everyday activities.

“I was diagnosed with Stickler Syndrome when I was about 10 months old which means I’m totally blind in my right eye, and I can only see a little out of my left eye.

“I wear two hearing aids, I’m totally deaf in my right ear with my hearing aids out, and I’m partially deaf in my left ear. When someone is talking to me with my hearing aids out they have to come to me really closely for me to hear them.

“When I watch TV I have to sit right up close to it, it feels a bit strange but I don’t go to the cinema at all because it’s really difficult to see things, even with big screens.

“If I was in a room with a lot of background noise, or with a lot of people like in the school canteen or out with friends trying to listen to someone that was sitting next to me, it would be much harder for me to hear what they’re saying compared to a person with normal hearing.

“If it’s a really bright day the sun can really affect my sight, and if it’s getting dark I can’t see where I’m going so I always carry my cane with me. I started using a cane when I was six or seven and then I went onto a long cane when I was in year 8 in secondary school.

“Secondary school was quite manic, no-one knew what was wrong with me. I was the only one in the school that was deafblind at the time, and kids didn’t understand what it was, and I found it hard to begin with as a teenager.

With the grant of £414,687 from the Big Lottery Fund’s Bright New Futures programme, Sense Cymru are delivering their Being Me project that gives beneficiaries access to peer support, residential programmes, activities, and an information bank that help them to develop new relationships and acquire self-advocacy, decision and fact-finding skills. This allows them to better understand and influence information about their care, helping to improve their resilience, self-confidence and independence during their transition to adulthood.

Thanks to the project, Emma was able to enrol at the Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford in 2015 where, after 17 years, she feels like she has had the support she needs to make the most of herself.

“The college has really helped me live independently as well, it has had a big impact on me. When I first came here it was my first time living away from home and it really hit me. Now in my second year, I know I’m getting that independence in my life.
 
“I’m studying Business Administration at the college and I want to go into Business Administration and Customer Services when I finish, and I do lots of different things in the school; I can go out for a walk, cook for myself – I love making bolognese and cake! I even went to my prom, and had my hair done with my friends, it makes me feel like a mainstream teenager to be able to do that with other people.

“I also get involved with performing arts which I’m really confident about. When I was in secondary school I was in a deaf choir and we went all over the country and we performed in front of 5,000 people at the Royal Albert Hall which was nerve-wracking! We also performed in St David’s Hall in Cardiff, and we also performed at Cyfartha Castle as part of the Being Me project.

“I live with four other people on my corridor at the college. We all share the same kitchen and lounge and I hang out with them in the student bar like everyone else. I don’t feel that my condition stops me from leading a normal, sociable life like any other person.

“The college are really helping me to achieve my goals. They’ve got all of the facilities and accessories here and they get you to the same level and ability that a mainstream school will do for people. They do one-to-one sessions, map individual needs, and I even did some work experience here in the college too which I did once a week. 

“I’ve also worked with Sense in their offices. I did office and administration work there, and did some tours for general visitors at the building as well for Assembly Members, local schools, and local authorities, and I got involved with an event at the Senedd too.”

Looking back over her life and looking to her future, it’s clear to Emma that the last couple of years have been the most important to her, and that she is extremely grateful that the help of those around her has led to her personal growth, and that her achievements have been easier to accomplish with the support of the Being Me project.

“The Being Me project has helped me gain independence, increase my confidence, make new friends that I didn’t have before. I’ve also started helping other people, and raising awareness of my condition and similar conditions.

“Some people and friends have said that I’m a bit of role model to them as my confidence has grown. The project has definitely changed my life, I’m so glad that I took part in the Being Me project.

“If I’d never been a part of the Being Me project, or if I’d never come to the college I think my life would be a lot more enclosed. I’d stay at home, I wouldn’t go out and make friends, but being on the project has opened more doors for me, and given me more opportunities to make new friends, and to get a good job in life. It is different to standard children’s services, they help you make the transition from childhood to adulthood.”

“I think my parents have seen me become a lot more independent and a lot more confident. They have definitely noticed a positive change in my attitude, in the way I do things. At first I felt like I didn’t want to do things, but now that I’ve got involved with activities they’ve noticed that I’m becoming an adult. The activities with Sense and the college are for adults, they treat you like adults.

“Over the next year I’m going to be getting more experience with technology, like trying different accessibility options on tablets because everything is becoming a lot more technology-led for people my age. Being sensory-impaired, and a vulnerable person, it’s difficult to get used to this technology but over time I’ll be looking to be able to use technology just as well as anyone else.

“I want to encourage more young people to get in touch with Sense, it’s a really fun, enjoyable experience and they will really help you develop yourself. Thanks to them, my deafblindness hasn’t stopped me from doing anything.”

Further Information:

Alexander Davies - Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 029 2067 8236
Public Enquiries Line: 0300 123 0735
Textphone: 0845 6021 659
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available at: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Follow Big Lottery Fund Wales on Twitter: www.twitter.com/biglotterywales
Find Big Lottery Fund Wales on Facebook: www.facebook.com/biglotteryfundwales

• The Big Lottery Fund supports the aspirations of people who want to make life better for their communities across the UK. We are responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by the National Lottery and invest over £650 million a year in projects big and small in health, education, environment and charitable purposes.
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