SSW was lucky to have a work experience placement recently when Chloe joined us for the week. Here’s what Chloe thought of her time with SSW, including some enlightening moments!
“When I first chose to spend my work experience with SSW, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I didn’t have many visually impaired people in my life, so I assumed that visual impairments would make daily and social activities very challenging, requiring heavy dependence on others. However, my time at SSW has completely changed these perceptions!
“When Sonia sent me my timetable for the week, I was surprised to see a variety of activities (including trips, art classes, chess and sports) that I imagined to be quite inaccessible to SSW members. However, this was entirely not the case! Each activity brought a buzz of excitement and participation, with everyone being very welcoming to me and each other.
One of my favourite activities was the Tuesday art class. I am really interested in art, but imagined it to be quite inaccessible to visually impaired people. Again, I was completely wrong! Fuelled by tea and biscuits, members of all abilities were lightly guided by an art teacher to create some really impressive work (putting my own work to shame!). In fact, the enjoyment and creativity I witnessed has inspired me to try my own art club at my local library!
Another highlight was on my fourth day at SSW, when I spent the sunny morning with a lovely group of SSW members and volunteers visiting the gardens of the Old Vicarage, which we all found absolutely incredible! I had imagined getting out and about would be quite frustrating for visually impaired people, yet trips on the minibus allows members to get to places that aren’t otherwise reachable. These trips are thoroughly enjoyed by both members and volunteers, who frequently reminisce about them and eagerly anticipate the next outing.
I would also like to shout out to the chess club – I’m definitely returning for a rematch next week!
The most impactful part of my week was the sense of community I found at SSW. It was so warm, and the vibrant social lives of the members contradicted the isolation I had imagined visually impaired people might experience. The friendly atmosphere at all activities stands out as extremely special.
Overall, my week with Sight Support has completely changed how I think about visual impairments. I’ve chatted with so many lovely and interesting people, who are leading very rich lives alongside any visual impairments. I’ve had such a great time. SSW is such an important charity to so many people, and I’m hoping to return and volunteer here in the future!”
Thank you for the time you spent with us Chloe; we very much enjoyed having you as part of our team! If you are interested in work experience or volunteering with us, or perhaps you or a family member have a visual impairment, do get in touch with us; we’d love to welcome you to the SSW community.
