Declan Wotherspoon is a culinary arts graduate from Doncaster who wants to open a tea room as he loves cooking. The only problem is he is half-blind.
"I was not expecting this."
The 22-year-old University of Buxton Graduate had a lifelong ambition to become a chef one day. Declan’s dreams came crashing down on him when one day he woke up not being able to see a thing.
He had developed Keratoconus from a young age, a disease which shapes your eye into a cone-like shape making it hard to see. He said he used to suffer from blurred vision but the use of contact lenses had helped him through his days at school.
It was not until the Summer after his second year at university that he realised that his condition had worsened.
“I just woke up one day and could not see a thing. I suffered spouts of faded vision every now and then but I was not expecting this.”
He had developed Keratoconus from a young age, a disease which shapes your eye into a cone-like shape making it hard to see. He said he used to suffer from blurred vision but the use of contact lenses had helped him through his days at school.
It was not until the Summer after his second year at university that he realised that his condition had worsened.
“I just woke up one day and could not see a thing. I suffered spouts of faded vision every now and then but I was not expecting this.”
"I was an inconvenience to him."
Declan spent the whole Summer at home. He was shocked from the sudden change in his life and his disability to not be able to do anything as he pleased.
His mother had to hold his arm and help him at all times which made him feel useless. “Whenever I needed to do something, my mom had to help me and I just wanted to be my usual independent self.”
Declan started to realise who his true friends were when his longest friend and bestfriend started to drift away from him. It came to a point where it was Declan ringing his friend using Braille to spend time rather than his friend making effort.
“One day I had enough. I realised he would rather spend all day on his Xbox than ring me up.”
Declan said this person is no longer is friend and he would pay no attention to him if he saw him on the streets.
“I know it’s funny if I say I would not give him a second glance when I see him again considering I cannot see but this guy is not out of my life.”
His mother had to hold his arm and help him at all times which made him feel useless. “Whenever I needed to do something, my mom had to help me and I just wanted to be my usual independent self.”
Declan started to realise who his true friends were when his longest friend and bestfriend started to drift away from him. It came to a point where it was Declan ringing his friend using Braille to spend time rather than his friend making effort.
“One day I had enough. I realised he would rather spend all day on his Xbox than ring me up.”
Declan said this person is no longer is friend and he would pay no attention to him if he saw him on the streets.
“I know it’s funny if I say I would not give him a second glance when I see him again considering I cannot see but this guy is not out of my life.”
“I still went out drinking and nights out."
September came and it was time for Declan to decide if he wanted to return to university to complete his final year. He said the transition felt flawless. The wellbeing centre of his university arranged priceless services such as note-taking during lectures, writing down what he wanted to put in his dissertation and guiding him around his campus.
“I cannot thank the well being centre enough. My lecturer told me I could defer a year but I developed depression while being all by myself at home so it was without a doubt I wanted to return to university.”
Declan’s visual impairment did not get in the way of his university life. His complete blindness then became a partial visual impairment which helped him to see a little, however, he cannot see at all once it got dark.
“I still went out drinking and nights out. My housemates took turns to cook for me and they never made me feel unwelcome. Being back at university changed my dark situation into a very positive one.”
His university friends have now become accustomed to his condition so much so they make fun of him every now and then which he has a laugh at too.
“When we went to see Avengers in the cinema, I asked my friends what character was on the screen and they would explain to me. Someone else would turn around to tell me to shut up and I cannot see the face you are pulling at me because I am cannot see. No I’m literally blind.”
“I cannot thank the well being centre enough. My lecturer told me I could defer a year but I developed depression while being all by myself at home so it was without a doubt I wanted to return to university.”
Declan’s visual impairment did not get in the way of his university life. His complete blindness then became a partial visual impairment which helped him to see a little, however, he cannot see at all once it got dark.
“I still went out drinking and nights out. My housemates took turns to cook for me and they never made me feel unwelcome. Being back at university changed my dark situation into a very positive one.”
His university friends have now become accustomed to his condition so much so they make fun of him every now and then which he has a laugh at too.
“When we went to see Avengers in the cinema, I asked my friends what character was on the screen and they would explain to me. Someone else would turn around to tell me to shut up and I cannot see the face you are pulling at me because I am cannot see. No I’m literally blind.”
“I have not let this restrict me at all."
Declan still has hopes to make it in culinary arts. He also graduated with a First Class Honours and received an Adversity award for his determination. He hopes to open a tea room one day and employ visually impaired people. He is now on Level 2 of learning Braille and he said he is going to teach Braille to other visually impaired people as well as volunteering with helping Guide Dogs.
“I feel there is far of worse people than me and I have not let this blip stop me.”
“I feel there is far of worse people than me and I have not let this blip stop me.”
Declan shows us how he texts his friends.