I know we’ve been quiet about Ben specific posts, but we’ve been asked to share a bit of an update for friends near & far and he gave his permission to share a bit.
Ben’s now 14 and this term has begun to attend some GCSE classes at a local college. (College in the UK starts at 16, but this program lets home educated kids start at 13 for some subjects – last year Ben attended their art & design class.) He’ll attend part time this year and next for his GCSEs (like a high school equivalent.) Once those are completed he’s applying to another college that offers a special program in game technology & art. We’ve toured that campus and learned a bit about the technology they have to work with students with visual impairments, which only increased Ben’s excitement. He’s working at home on coding more so he’ll be ready once he turns 16 and can attend full time at the two year game program.
We’re in a city so Ben is able to catch public transport down to both campuses in city center. He had a few sessions of cane training to help him practice in an urban area and find out some of the ways the city is set up for visual impairments, like special ridged pavements and crosswalk notifications. We also wanted to ensure he could handle the challenges that may pop up while riding the bus solo, like delays or missed stops. While we suspected for years, it was confirmed that Ben will not ever be able to legally drive so being in a country with wonderful public transportation is something we do not take for granted. Many adults here never drive, so it’s not unusual and there are a variety of alternatives for people to get around or handle things like deliveries. It gives Ben an independence comparable to his peers, vs. being stateside where he would have fewer resources to navigate life without the ability to drive. Continue reading “Bennett Update”
