Jenna
“I previously lived in Loughborough in the West Midlands. I had been to boarding school and college. I spent over 6 years looking for somewhere to live with accommodation and support. I needed to move out. I wanted and needed to be independent from my parents. My mom has only just accepted my disability and the fact that I am actually all right. They didn’t realise that I would actually move out. I did. I carried on, on my own and I am doing all right.
I had been on the Solihull Council list for a long time and I had a measley 11 points. The Royal National Institutution for Blind people contacted Action for Blind People who contacted the housing officer for Birmingham who then recommended that I get in touch with St Basils.
Action for Blind People then referred me to St Basils Link and accompanied me when I first went to see them. Angela took me to the Link helped where staff me to get a place at Shaftesbury House. I came here and met Jula (Housing Manager) and the staff and then brought my parents over to meet them. I did all the moving myself.
Staff sorted out all the other paperwork and that was it.
It was and still can be a bit difficult. Everyone expected and expects me to have someone with me all the time because I am blind. Independence is so important to me.
At Shaftesbury House I don’t really get to meet other residents as they are out working or in education. I live in the independent bungalow. It is strange. You have to get to know people and build a network of friends. I have joined the St Basils Youth Advisory Board, ‘YAB’ and enjoy meeting people there.I know one other person who lives in another St Basils project nearby, Howard House.
This place is only 10 minutes away from my parents place so I see mom and dad frequently. Dad picks me up and drops me back. They like the fact that there are staff here. If I forgot something I could go back and get it. I am still near enough to mom and dads house to do that.
Shaftesbury House is accessible there are white strips on the edge of the steps and I can negotiate them using my cane. Using my cane also helps me in getting around the local area. It took me a long time to find my way around Moseley Village and I got lost so many times. It can be really difficult specially when it rains and everything looks and feels so different. When hedges are overgrown I often come home with so many scratches. I’ve learnt the bus route. I just get on the bus to Kings Heath and go straight down the road. All the time I need to ask for help other times I look out for landmarks.
A lot of the people who live here have very little money to get their food and everything. I am lucky that I have my savings. I wonder how they cope sometimes.
I am continuing to study at college doing Art and Design, I think visually. Getting all my materials in the right format is often a nightmare. Getting handouts and material in the right format after everyone else is just a huge disadvantage. Although I am blind I can see some things. Being partially sighted sounds much better than being blind.
I also have another condition which meant that over the years I have had over five operations, each one a life saving operation. I do feel so lucky that everything is turning out well and I am able to do so much. I would like to be a mentor to anyone my age, to young people in general as well as those with a disability. I would like to know more about sighted people and how they do things, there are many things I that can’t see such as hand gestures.
My culture is Indian. In my culture, the middle child, a girl, of two brothers, I would have been brought up to and expected to cook but this has not happened with me. Now learning to cook is one of my greatest ambitions. I also want to improve my ability to socialise.”
