East Lancs man gets career back on track despite going blind

10:40am Friday 5th September 2008

By Emma Cruces

NEW technology could help an East Lancashire man get his career back on track after losing his sight.

Kevin Whittaker had to give up his dream of becoming a nurse at 21 when his vision severely deteriorated as a result of diabetes.

The 24-year-old, of Burrans Meadow, Colne, who has been registered blind for two years, quit the second year of his nursing degree when efforts to manage his failing sight proved fruitless.

Deciding to work towards a counselling qualification instead, he was frustrated when having to deal with everyday items like hand-outs and even typing up essays for his course at Nelson and Colne College.

However the college put him in touch with Action for Blind People who provided him with a talking computer and a gadget that reads magazines, articles and hand-outs.

Their pioneering mobile Information Service is now set to tour East Lancs bringing everything from vibrating bank note detectors to talking microwaves and tin lids, to those who need them most.

Kevin said: “As soon as I contacted Action for Blind they sent someone out to see what I needed. They even sorted out all the grants and gave me training so I could use the software I needed.

“Typing was really tricky before, but now each letter is read out to me as I type and then the word is read back to me. I can ask the computer to read out whole sentences, paragraphs or the full essay, which is something most people take for granted.”

One of the most useful gadgets is a mobile cctv unit which can scan articles, books and handouts for Kevin before reading them back to him.

The former Park High pupil’s sight loss was caused by diabetes, which he has suffered with since he was a child.

The blood vessels behind his eyes burst when his blood sugar was too high leading to a slow decline in his sight over the years.

It was three years ago when he first noticed he was struggling to see numbers on buses. Today he can see light and shade, but struggles to make out shapes.

If his studies at college go well, he hopes to study counselling at Preston University, where he was studying to become a nurse.

The mobile Sight Loss Information Service, run by national charity Action for Blind People, carries the latest technology and gadgets to improve daily life.

Neal Atkinson, from Action for Blind People’s Sight Loss Information Service, said: "Everybody is welcome to come along to visit us on the mobile. Whether you are visually impaired or know somebody who may be having problems with their sight, please pay us a visit and pick up information or ask us questions. Visitors can try out a wide range of daily living aids or the latest computer and magnification technology.”