"I’m Jayne and my daughter Jemima, who has a visual impairment, was a pupil at Sight Scotland’s Royal Blind School.
"Before attending the Royal Blind School, Jemima was struggling in mainstream education. She lacked confidence, struggled to make friends, and didn’t receive the support she needed. But at the Royal Blind School everything changed.
"The school has Qualified Teachers of the Visually Impaired (QTVI), who are specifically trained to help children with visual impairment make the most of their education and supporting them to live as independently as possible. With their support, Jemima has flourished.
"Learning braille was a lifeline – it opened her world again and allowed her to express herself through writing. I can see why she describes braille as her “superpower”!"
"But in many ways, the friends she made at the Royal Blind School were the making of Jemima. Her confidence soared, and she felt like she’d found her place in the world. At 19, she has become a young woman ready to live independently, something we never could had foreseen a few years ago."
"I cannot sing the praises of Sight Scotland enough. What they’ve done for Jemima has been truly life changing – her future looks so much brighter thanks to their support.
"The journey hasn’t been easy. We fought really hard to get Jemima the support we knew she needed, and we know not every family will be able to go to the lengths we had to.
"But we know that Sight Scotland values the same things we do – we know that Sight Scotland is right beside us, working to ensure every person with visual impairment in Scotland gets to live their best life.
"We are forever grateful for everything Sight Scotland have given to Jemima and to us as a family, and I’m so proud of all that Jemima has achieved."
With one gift you can completely change someone’s life.
Give the gift of superpowers this Christmas and donate now
Winter Appeal
There are increasing numbers of children with visual impairment, but there’s less support available to help them. This winter, you can ensure that hundreds of children get the specialised support they need to thrive.
Pam's Story
Hear from Pam, one of our brilliant QTVI teachers who stood by Jemima every step of the way, inspiring her, teaching her, and supporting her to grow and succeed.
Jemima's Story
Read the story of Jemima, the incredible student with visual impairment, who came to the Royal Blind School with little to no confidence, but is now a published poet, an adept braille reader, and is on her way to college – and to a full life.