Former Royal Blind School pupil going on work experience

Former Royal Blind School pupil Angus Dixon is now on work experience, using skills he learned in the school’s specialist classes.

Angus split his last two years of secondary school between his high school in East Lothian and specialist classes at the Royal Blind School.

Angus said: “At the Royal Blind School, I learnt how to better use screen-reader software, which I use with Microsoft Office programmes.

“I learned all the keyboard shortcuts, which take a lot of practice. I’m much better at using Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint.

“Now, I’m doing work experience at the City of Edinburgh Council for five days a week. I’m working as an Administration Assistant, doing telephone calls.”

The work experience Angus is doing is through a programme called Edinburgh Project SEARCH, which supports young people with a disability into employment. Over the next year, Angus will take part in three full-time work placements, with each placement lasting around 10 weeks.

Being able to travel to work alone is a requirement of the work experience programme. Angus, who lives in East Lothian, focused on improving this skill at his Royal Blind School classes.

Now, Angus is taking public transport to work and using his Long Cane to navigate.

Angus said: “The lessons I had at the Royal Blind School have given me the confidence to take a bus across town, as well as to cross roads. I’ve been going on buses for a while now, and I go all by myself.”

A keen musician, Angus said that when he’s not working, he will continue to play his favourite instruments.

“I’m a drummer and I also play the trumpet and the recorder, and I sing. And I’m planning to start piano,” Angus said.

“I’m mainly into rock and heavy metal, really anything from the 1960s to now, including The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, Led Zeppelin and E.L.O.”

We wish Angus the best of luck with his work experience and his music, and hope to hear his piano rendition of a classic from The Beatles or Pink Floyd sometime soon!